Biographies of successful women

During the s and s, aviation was not yet a typical mode of travel. Instead, it was a spectacle, with those who flew the newfangled things becoming icons in their own right. Pilots were praised as heroes—fearless as they stared down death in one of the most dangerous sports. However, not all pilots received the same praise, as is the case of five remarkable aviators. Brave enough to overcome numerous obstacles, they were often ridiculed and faced prejudice based on one common factor: They were all women. 

Related: Fly Girls: The Daring Women Who Competed in Airplane Races During the Early s  

During the early stages of aviation, women showed great determination and willpower as they sought to prove themselves in the skies. O’Brien focuses on five trail-blazing women who impacted the industry: Florence Klingensmith, Ruth Elder, Amelia Earhart, Ruth Nichols, and Louise Thaden. These women accomplished many feats, broke sexist barriers, were innovators in the aviation world, and broke multiple records. A thrilling read until the final page–and newly available in paperback on March 5–Fly Girls will leave you in awe.

With today marking International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in full swing, this month is as good a time as any to champion women empowerment and give back to female-focused causes. And if you’re interested in learning more about pivotal female figures who have shaped history and the true stories of powerhouse women demanding change for the better, we’ve compiled some of the best biographies and memoirs on inspiring women published within the last year, according to Goodreads members.

To determine which books to include, Goodreads weighed the number of Goodreads members who reviewed each book and the number of members who added the books to their "want to read" lists, as well as each book's average rating. Among the options below are stories about the mothers who raised Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin as well as the Jewish female resistance fighters who fought back during World War II.

Best biographies about influential and inspiring women in

Below, we’ve listed the best biographies by and about women published within the last year based on Goodreads data.

‘All That She Carried’ by Tiya Miles

Goodreads: star average rating from 1, reviews

Historian Tiya Miles tracks the story of Ashley’s Sack, which was passed down through three generations of Black women and evokes love, loss and resilience. The story starts with Rose, an enslaved woman in s South Carolina, who gave this sack filled with precious items to her daughter, Ashley.

‘All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days’ by Rebecca Donner

Goodreads: star average rating from 1, reviews

During the rise of the Nazi party, Mildred Harnack started holding secret meetings at her apartment, which comprised a small number of political activists — by , the group had grown into the largest underground resistance group in Berlin. Harnack, whom historians identify as the only American in the leadership of the German resistance, he