“…a deep well of inspiration…”
– Stephanie Gorton, award-winning author of The Icon and the Idealist

Get motivated by the grit of groundbreaking women!
In Women Make History: Fifty-Three Stories of Courage, Strength & Resilience, you’ll meet trailblazing women whose accomplishments have been dismissed, forgotten, or wrongly attributed. Spanning from Colonial America to the late 20th century, you’ll be immersed in a kaleidoscope of backgrounds and experiences including:
Gladys West, the brilliant African American mathematician who struggled to find work in the 1950s because of Jim Crow laws, yet went on to invent the critical components of GPS.
Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American physician, who cared for 1,300 people across 1,200 miles of Nebraska plains in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Meg Crane, who designed the first home pregnancy test and improved women’s lives worldwide, launched a multi-million-dollar enterprise in the 1960s, but never profited from her invention.
Once you’ve read Women Make History, you’ll never forget how the courage of one’s convictions can illuminate a path forward for everyone.
PRE-ORDER FEBRUARY 14, 2026






Join Us For The Book Launch
Saturday Feb 28 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The King’s English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, Utah. Free and open to the public but requires a ticket.
More praise for Women Make History
“…A must-have collection for those who love to read about adventurous and daring women, each as compelling as she is determined…”
– JENNIFER JORDAN, author, Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2
“Women Make History is an illuminating and irreverent anthology, ranging widely over past and present. Replete with powerful stories, irresistible conversation starters, and beautiful illustrations, this book is a deep well of inspiration.”
– Stephanie Gorton, award-winning author of The Icon and the Idealist
“…An important book, documenting the legacy of the heroic women on whose shoulders today’s feminists stand. From warrior women to poets, this book is a vital tool for every woman looking for inspiration in our troubling times, as well as academics and writers.”
– Trish MacEnulty, author of The Delafield & Malloy Investigations
“These brief biographies…illuminate how far we’ve come, but also raise questions about where we are now in terms of social, racial, or economic equality. Each story serves as a springboard for further discussion, making it perfect for book clubs, classes, and discussion groups for all ages.”
– Helen Frink, author and Professor Emerita, Keene State College
PRE-ORDER FEBRUARY 14, 2026





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Inspired by groundbreaking stories, we’re gathering like-minded women for friendship and special events. Subscribe to our free, monthly newsletter and be the first to know about upcoming events.
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Mary Ann Patten: First Woman to Pilot a U.S. Cargo Ship
Read more »: Mary Ann Patten: First Woman to Pilot a U.S. Cargo ShipIn 1856, pregnant with her first child and only nineteen, Mary Ann Patten took command of the merchant ship, Neptune’s Car, piloted it through the treacherous waters of Cape Horn, and brought the vessel safely into San Francisco harbor, while fending off a mutiny and nursing her sick husband. She is thought to be the first woman in the U.S. to captain a cargo ship.
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Lucy Stone: Abolitionist & Suffragist
Read more »: Lucy Stone: Abolitionist & SuffragistNote: In case you missed it, the story of Lucy Stone was the most popular of 2025. If you’d like to reread or share it with others, here it is in full.
Lucy Stone was a pioneering abolitionist and suffragist in the mid-nineteenth century. The first woman in Massachusetts to earn a college degree, she fought for racial and gender equality by generating support for amending the Constitution to give Black men the vote, and by laying the foundation for the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

About the Author
Sharon Spaulding has written for Ms. magazine, Smithsonian.com, New Hampshire Magazine, and other publications. A grant from the Schlesinger Library forwarded her research on Mary Ware Dennett, a 20th-century reproductive rights activist. Sharon writes a monthly newsletter, “Women Make History: Stories We Should Have Learned in School.” A fun and fascinating speaker, she enjoys sharing these stories with book clubs and civic groups. Sharon lives near Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband and her dog, Hank.


