Ready to dive headfirst into African history? Join us this October as we discuss When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors by Paula Akpan. Watch bloody (pre-)colonial history unfold with Victoria and Katherine as they admire Apkan’s deft handling of complicated women, become overly invested in Madagascar’s 19th C isolationism, and deepen their understanding of African women’s political power.
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Want all the hottest gossip from 112 BCE? Join us this September as we discuss The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones. Read all the latest (ancient) goings-on with Victoria and Katherine as they gloss over all the incest, admire the agency of murderous royals, and question how we handle biased sources in pop history.
Trigger Warning: for discussion of sexual assault and incest.
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Concerned that the 1873 Comstock Act feels too relevant in 2025? Join us this August as we read The Icon & The Idealist: Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America by Stephanie Gorton. Dive in with Victoria and Katherine as they denounce liberal in-fighting, continue Victoria’s obsession with the 19th C free love movement, and unpack the historical ties between birth control and eugenics…
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Bring on the ballot box! This July we’re reading Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Wont the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones. Like drinking from a firehose, this is an absolute whirlwind of names, dates and politics. Educate yourself with Victoria and Katherine as they marvel at the power of Black women, continue their age-old argument about biographies vs thematic histories, and search for Stacy Abrams’ AO3 account.
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Happy Pride! This June we’ve read Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line: A Hidden History of Queer Women by Elizabeth Lovatt, part memoir, part history of Lesbian call lines in 1990s London. Dial in with Victoria and Katherine as they call up questions around archival ethics, LGBTQ+ politics, and ask what exactly we’re looking for when we read history.
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Great man narratives of complicated women this month! This May we read Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Helene Cooper, so we’re all up to date on the fascinating history of Liberia, its horrifying civil wars, and Johnson Sirleaf’s political rise. Join Victoria and Katherine as they interrogate Liberia’s complex politics, Cooper’s framing of her subject, and the challenges of flawed protagonists in historical biographies.
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
Buy this book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Cry havoc and let slip your love for all things Rome! For April 2025, we’ve read Emma Southon’s A Rome of One’s Own (US), otherwise known as A History of Rome in 21 Women (UK). Join Victoria and Katherine as they delve into Southon’s adept handling of difficult sources, meditate on the beauty of female friendship, and convert biography-lovers to the sweeping drama of grand histories!
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Check out the Hidden Half Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/hiddenhalfbook
We also name checked a few other excellent books and podcasts:
History is Sexy: https://historyissexy.com/
Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later: https://rustyquill.com/show/cry-havoc/
Buy this book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Grab this one for your fiber arts circle! For Women’s History Month 2025 we’re reading the feminist classic Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber. Join Victoria and Katherine as they piece together the history of fabric, weigh the merits of various disciples (ethnography, linguistics, archaeology and more!) and consider what Barber still has to contribute to the ongoing project of women’s history.
Donate to the RHP Women in World History textbook open access campaign: https://donorbox.org/publish-the-rhp-textbooks
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
We also name checked a few other excellent books and podcasts:
The History of English (Kevin Stroud): https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/
The Children of Ash and Elm (Neil Price): https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/298807/the-children-of-ash-and-elm-by-price-neil/9780141984445
The Fabric of Civilization (Virginia Postrel): https://www.vpostrel.com/the-fabric-of-civilization
Buy this book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
We’re on the cusp of current events with Leslie Chang’sFactory Girls: Voices from the Heart of Modern China this month. Join Victoria and Katherine as they struggle along with the migrant women that formed the heart of industrial China at the turn of the 20th C, discussing work, family and the purpose of history.
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project athttps://www.remedialherstory.com/giving.html#/
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project atwww.remedialherstory.com
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials athttps://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores athttps://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
It’s a new year and we’re ready to jump back to the Medieval Period with Poet Mystic Widow Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women by Hetta Howes. Join Victoria and Katherine as they contemplate the purpose of studying history, accidentally unearth Margery Kempe/Julian of Norwich fanfiction, and indulge in some brief 2024 reflections.
Check out the Going Medieval blog: https://going-medieval.com/
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at https://www.remedialherstory.com/giving.html#/
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
This month, step into the shoes of Hilda Bernstein, anti-Apartheid activist and writer, as she recounts the horrors of the 1963-4 Rivonia Trial in her memoir The World That Was Ours. Join Victoria and Katherine as they unpack how memoirs function as historical source, become fans of Nelson Mandela (60 years late), and maybe get a little emotional about the details. We’re not crying, you’re crying!
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at https://www.remedialherstory.com/donate.html
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
To buy December’s book, The World That Was Ours by Hilda Bernstein, head on over to Persephone Books (or any second hand retailers): https://persephonebooks.co.uk/products/the-world-that-was-ours
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
This month we’re digging into A History of Islam in 21 Women by Hossein Kamaly. Pop on your explorer’s cap as Victoria and Katherine traverse these rich and varied biographies of muslim women from West Africa to the West Indies, from the birth of Islam to the modern award-winning scholars and artists that shape our world. We’ve got our fair share of thoughts - as usual - so buckle up!
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at https://www.remedialherstory.com/donate.html
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
To buy December’s book, The World That Was Ours by Hilda Bernstein, head on over to Persephone Books (or any second hand retailers): https://persephonebooks.co.uk/products/the-world-that-was-ours
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Join us this month as we discuss our October pick, Messalina: The Life and Times of Rome’s Most Scandalous Empress by Honor Cargill-Martin. Don your togas and enter the toothless Senate as Victoria and Katherine opine on the horrific ideal of Roman womanhood, the author’s deft handling of sources, and the value of finding women’s agency in historical narrative. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, what are you waiting for?
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at https://www.remedialherstory.com/donate.html
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
Join us this month as we discuss our September read, The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis by Maria Smilios. Hosts Victoria and Katherine will unpack the challenges of science narratives, the various shapes of racism in 20th C America and our love of medical horror. Whether you’ve had a chance to pick up this excellent book yet, or are waiting for it to arrive, listen along with us!
Donate to our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at https://www.remedialherstory.com/donate.html
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
And learn more about the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In this super-special August episode of the Hidden Half Book Review, Victoria and Katherine congregate, confabulate and converse about all things Bluestockings: The First Women’s Movement with its author, Susannah Gibson! We’ll unpack the stories of the wondrous women, from Elizabeth Montagu to Hester Mulso to Catherine Macauley, exploring the 18th C intellectual history that laid the foundations for the future of women’s rights in the UK.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In our July episode of the Hidden Half Book Review, join Victoria and Katherine as we talk all things Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan by Ruby Lal. We’ll dig into the missing Gulbadan at the center of this biography, the historical context of harems, and reflect on the power of women’s stories as history.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In our June episode of the Hidden Half Book Review, join Victoria and Katherine as we explore Female Husbands: A Trans History by Jen Manion. An excellent scholarly addition to our shelf of trans histories, we’ll recount the stories that touched us, consider the linguistics of transing gender, and get a little bit sentimental about the importance of seeing ourselves in history.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In our May episode of the Hidden Half Book Review, join Victoria and Katherine as we discuss Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. A fascinating read, we’ll break down how Bohannon skillfully addresses gender essentialism, what aspects of the female body grossed us out (or inspired us!) and whether we finally bought the argument that homo sapiens were, at some point, matriarchal.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In Episode 02 of the Hidden Half Book Review we pick up the classic, The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich. Join Victoria and Katherine as they learn a little more background on the Soviets in WWII, discuss the sidelining of women’s history, and recall the stories from the trenches that stayed with them.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
In this inaugural episode of the Hidden Half Book Review Victoria and Katherine discuss our March book read, The Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang. Listen along to hear more about this incredible book, spanning Cixi's rise to power, her decades-long career as empress regnant, and the almost Shakespearean ending to her life and her dynasty.
Check out the Women's and Gender History Book Club socials at https://linktr.ee/wghbc
Buy the book and support independent bookstores at https://bookshop.org/shop/womensgenderhistorybook
And learn more about women's history with our partner, the Remedial Herstory Project at www.remedialherstory.com
Join the Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1196889-women-s-gender-history-book-club
Shop RHP Gear: http://www.remedialherstory.com/store
Support this Work: http://www.remedialherstory.com/giving
Host: Victoria Plutshack and Katherine Coumes
Editor: Tyler Cardwell
Producer: Haley Brook
