Stories from Suffragette City
This collection of short stories, written by an array of accomplished historical fiction writers, centers around the famous Women’s March for Suffrage in New York City on October 23, 1915. With the one-hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment this year, it feels a fitting time to read and reflect on a specific moment in the fight for suffrage, and to see what it meant for women across the United States at the time. This collection succeeds in doing just that, providing a glimpse of the march through the eyes of a variety of people, including students, immigrants, refugees, and the famous suffragists Ida B. Wells and Alva Vanderbilt, among others.
Some consistent threads or moments unite a number of stories, while others stand on their own and provide a wholly separate view of the events. It feels a fitting combination, since the long fight for suffrage was both a collaborative and isolated one, as some did not join in the movement, whether by choice, circumstance, or target exclusion by white suffragists.
Collectively, the stories paint a larger picture of what it felt to breathe and walk the streets on the day of the march, as well as what the struggle meant on an individual scale. The variety in voices and authors guarantees readers will connect with at least a few stories, if not all, and perhaps discover new authors and backlists to explore. With the United States facing a presidential election this year, an opportunity to reflect on this historic and ongoing fight for universal suffrage feels especially apt. Recommended.
