Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World

Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit. Against overwhelming adversity, these remarkable women raised their voices and changed history.

With her one-of-a-kind wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world-famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies.

Brazen is a non-fiction graphic novel that tells the stories of all kinds of women in history and around the world. I loved reading about each woman in this book and how they dared to live the lives they wanted in spite of sexism, racism, gender stereotyping, parental expectations, and other adversities. I loved discovering that many of the technology and inventions we have today were from women who were cast aside or rarely credited. I loved learning that many of the privileges we have now are because of women who stood up for us and themselves, because someone had to and no one else was doing it. 

Each story is told in colourful comic panels lasting 3-5 pages with a 2-page spread at the end of each entry. The illustration for the spreads are so beautiful that I want to print them all and cover my walls with them. Pénélope Bagieu, author and illustrator, masterfully captures the personality of each woman, and I found myself rolling my eyes with them or chuckling at how DONE they were from all the sexist comments they had to deal with. 🙄😂

Brazen is the kind of book I needed as a teenager, the kind of book I needed now, and the kind I’ll keep needing later. This is a book that will empower, dare, and inspire and I’m so glad my friend @mariongnd sent it to me. 💕