Dear Spike:
With hopes of inspiring you to reach for greatness, I had the idea, some time ago, to begin to purchase for you a collection of the autobiographies of historic women.
Among the titles on my “to buy for Spike” list:
• Jane Goodall’s Reason for Hope
• Madeline Albright’s Madam Secretary
• Julia Child’s My Life in France
• Katherine Graham’s Personal History
• Maya Angelou’s The Heart of a Woman
Yesterday, in the somber aftermath of a violent tragedy, I made the first purchase in what I’ve come to think of as “The Spike Book Series” — Daughter of the East by Benazir Bhutto.
Long before a woman would so much as seriously contend for the U.S. presidency, Bhutto became the first woman to lead a Muslim nation, ascending to the Prime Ministry of Pakistan in 1988. It was a position she held — and lost — twice. Bhutto was vying to reassume power once more when she was killed in a suicide bomb attack, yesterday afternoon.
It is far too early to say what prompted Bhutto’s assassin to strike, but it seems clear the attack was related to her politics, rather than her gender. Likewise, her dismissals from the Prime Ministry in 1990 and 1996 came as a result of allegations of corruption, not from her status as a woman.
I’m not about to suggest that Bhutto is a good role model for you. You’ll choose your own role models, I hope, and perhaps that will indeed include some of those women you read about along the way. But I do hope you study Bhutto’s story, for I think it is important you know that if a woman can become the elected leader of a nation in which women are too often treated as property, there is no reason that a woman cannot break through the ever attenuating glass ceiling separating men and women in the United States.
Regardless of how you come to feel about Bhutto, I hope you’ll find that example from her life inspiring.
Love,
dad
2 comments:
Although not an autobiography, Spike might also add to her book list "Women in the Material World" by Faith D'Aluisio and Peter Menzel. It has photos and interviews with women in 20 different countries. It was written in 1996... so a revised edition may give a more accurate portrayal of women's lives by the time Spike is enjoying more than the pictures. It lacks interviews with women from middle eastern countries. But it is pretty interesting.
Another good one for the list would be "Queen of Bohemia: The Life of Louise Bryant".
And lastly, if you have not seen "Reds", you should.
Hugs,
K
One of the most heavily impacting for me growing up was Sojourner Truth-- I read it in Elyo's class for a report and never ever forgot it.
-Rachel
Post a Comment