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Herstory

Compelling biographies and memoirs by and/or about intriguing women. - Updated February 2025, April S.

Toledo Library

30 items

  • This extraordinary memoir details the monumental journey of one young Gambian woman from survivor of FGM and forced child marriage, to global activist and political leader who became UN Women's first Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, one of…
    BookNew York, NY : Dafina Books, 2025. — 92 Dukureh, Jaha
  • The House of My Mother

    a Daughter's Quest for Freedom

    Franke, Shari,
    From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog—now the subject of a new Hulu docuseries—and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of…
    BookNew York : Gallery Books ; 2025. — 364.1555 Fra
  • Master of Me

    the Secret to Controlling Your Narrative

    Palmer, Keke,
    From the award-winning, multihyphenate global entertainer Keke Palmer comes the inspiring true story of her journey to understanding her genuine value.
    BookNew York : Flatiron Books, 2024. — 92 Palmer, Keke
  • A heartrending and beautiful memoir of sudden loss and a journey towards peace, from the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Horse.
    BookNew York, NY : Viking, [2025] — 92 Brooks, Geraldine
  • “This is Josephine Baker's story in her own words… Her voice is very strong in this story, and she is the best kind of person to read about. She is very funny and witty, humble and kind, and extremely eccentric.” —Kwame Alexander, TODAY
    BookNew York, NY : Tiny Reparations Books, 2025. — 792.8092 Bak
  • Singer-songwriter Neko Case paints a vivid portrait of an extraordinary life—one forged through a poverty-stricken childhood, obsessive desire, bursts of comedy, and indispensable friendships—reflecting on the way art, music, and a deep…
    BookNew York : Grand Central, 2025. — 92 Case, Neko
  • You'll Never Believe Me

    a Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist

    Ferrell, Kari,
    "A captivating, sharp, and very funny memoir." ―The Salt Lake Tribune
    BookNew York : St. Martin's Press, [2024] — 364.1092 Fer
  • Where Madness Lies

    The Double Life of Vivien Leigh

    Spence, Lyndsy
    "In this revealing new biography, Lyndsy Spence explores how Vivien Leigh's mental health troubles, and the awful ways in which they were treated in her era, defined a side of the star's life that didn't line up with the glitz and glamour…
    Downloadable AudiobookOld Saybrook : Tantor Media, 2025. — eAudio
  • The Waiting Game

    the Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens

    Clark, Nicola (Associate lecturer in history),
    A colorful and authoritative narrative history of the often-overlooked—yet hugely influential—figures of the Tudor court: the ladies-in-waiting.
    BookNew York : Pegasus Books, 2025. — 942.05 Cla
  • Becoming Spectacular

    The Rhythm of Resilience From the First African American Rockette

    Jones, Jennifer
    The first African American Rockette charts her journey to one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes in this gripping memoir that, for the first time, goes behind the velvet curtains at Radio City's legendary holiday show.
    eBook2025. — eBook
  • The wildly entertaining memoir of the legendary Chita Rivera—multi–Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
    BookNew York : HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2023] — 92 Rivera, Chi
  • Only Say Good Things

    Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself

    Hefner, Crystal,
    A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a woman’s stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefner’s final days.
    BookNew York : Grand Central Publishing, 2024. — 92 Hefner, Crystal
  • This searingly intimate memoir in essays, spanning Lamya’s childhood to her arrival in the United States for college through early-adult life in New York City, tells a universal story of courage, trust, and love, celebrating what it means…
    BookNew York : The Dial Press, [2023] — 306.7663 H
  • Dear Mom and Dad

    a Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew

    Davis, Patti,
    A remarkably poignant writer for our troubled times, Patti Davis writes about love, loss, and the power of redemption in this poetic letter to her long-gone parents.
    BookNew York : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton and Company, [2024] — 973.927 Dav
  • Burn Book

    a Tech Love Story

    Swisher, Kara,
    From award-winning journalist Kara Swisher comes a witty, scathing, but fair accounting of the tech industry and its founders who wanted to change the world but broke it instead.
    BookNew York, NY : Simon & Schuster, [2024] — 338.47 Swi
  • A poignant and moving memoir-in-essays from stand-up comedian Aida Rodriguez on the power of overcoming hardship and transforming pain into laughter.
    BookNew York, NY : HarperOne, [2023] — 92 Rodriguez, Aida
  • Oath and Honor

    a Memoir and a Warning

    Cheney, Liz, 1966-
    A gripping first-hand account of the January 6th, 2021, insurrection from inside the halls of Congress, from origins to aftermath, as Donald Trump and his enablers betrayed the American people and the Constitution—by the House Republican…
    BookNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2023. — 973.933 Che
  • In Thicker than Water, Washington gives readers an intimate view into both her public and private worlds—as a mother, daughter, wife, artist, advocate, and trailblazer.
    BookNew York : Little, Brown Spark, 2023. — 92 Washington, Kerry
  • Sure, I'll Join Your Cult

    a Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere

    Bamford, Maria, 1970-
    “Hilarious, devastating, fascinating … Celebrated comedian Maria Bamford is a winsome and unapologetic tour guide through her own life, reflecting on her search for achievement, belonging and healing.” —Bookpage
    BookNew York : Gallery Books, 2023. — 92 Bamford, Maria
  • From the bestselling author of ALL YOU CAN EVER KNOW comes a searing memoir of family, class and grief—a daughter’s search to understand the lives her adoptive parents led, the life she forged as an adult, and the lives she’s lost.
    BookNew York, NY : Ecco, [2023] — 362.734 Chu