Two weeks ago, I found myself in the library, endlessly scanning the shelves to find a compelling enough read to end the year with. I didn’t want something too cumbersome. I also did not want to read something that would overload my ever-diminishing attention span and so I thought, it’s time! *Cue Mariah Carey* to grab a graphic novel. 

I thought I’d pick up Saga or a memoir but what caught my eye was this quaint little pink volume about the lives of 12 classic women writers. Not giving it much thought, I checked it out of the library’s expecting it to gather dust in my room until it was time to return it. 

However, what did end up happening was my being immersed in the lives of these legendary writers for the last couple of weeks. 

Why she wrote offers a brief description of the lives of these women writers followed by a graphical illustration of a particular episode that influenced their writing. 

The book has a great structure to it that gives you an idea of the environments and cultures that these women grew up in and wrote in. It also does a great job detailing the shared struggle that some of them faced and showcased the sheer determination they all needed to get through to being published and being acknowledged for their talents.  

I felt a sense of loss by the time I turned the last page, having been kept company by these intelligent women and witnessing the rich and complicated lives they led. It almost felt like I bid farewell to a comforting group of friends and isn’t that what we all want in a good book? 

Fun! Wish I would love a similar book about the lives of other marginalized writers.