I am not one to normally read historical fiction, but after reading "A Tyranny of Petticoats", edited by Jessica Spotswood, I realized the importance of the subgenre. I picked it up due to its subject matter which is all things female: pirates, bank robbers, activists and saloon owners.
The YA anthology "A Tyranny of Petticoats" is a collection of 15 short stories all centered around one common theme: the strength it takes to be a girl. Each story takes place at a different time in American history.
It starts in 1710 on a pirate ship and ends in 1968 in the city of Chicago. Each story tackles different subjects like race, sexual orientation, class, and of course gender. The book seems to have a story for everyone.
While reading "A Tyranny of Petticoats" I began to realize its importance and the importance of other books like it.
I fell in love with every character, and they each gave me a deeper understanding of what it was like to be a woman in each time period. The diversity included in this collection is what makes it even more notable.
Not only did I come to understand the hardships that came with being a woman in a different century, but I also learned what the struggles of being an African-American woman or a gay woman were and probably still are.
The collection gave me a more in-depth awareness of other cultures and other races that I wouldn't have received from any other YA book that I've read. It also reassured me of my own struggles that come with being a woman.
The stories reminded me that my struggles are real, they exist, and I can overcome them. Being a woman doesn't have to put me at a disadvantage. I can be just like all the girls I read about, and emerge triumphantly.
