ANITA, ANITA  by Dorothy Bryant

A fascinating story about Anita Ribeiro, (1821-1849)  a woman who left everything behind to follow Giuseppe Garibaldi, (1807-1882)  an Italian national hero, through his military expeditions in South America and Europe.    Their compeling partnership epitomized the spirit of the 19th century's age of romanticism and revolutionary liberalism.  Using biographies and memoirs, the author wrote a fictional account of what brought this couple together, their passionate love and the history they made.  But the book concentrates on the almost forgotten story of Anita, the young Brazilian girl who fought beside Garibaldi and who bore him four children and died very young. 

I have a children's book about various women war spies:

In the Line of Fire: Eight Women War Spies by George Sullivan

Ages 9-12

THE JOAN KENNEDY STORY, LIVING WITH THE KENNEDYS  by Marcia Chellis

This book illustrates the stresses Joan Kennedy faced "living with the Kennedys."  The portrait is multifaceted and not always flattering.  Many intimate candid photos.

SONYA, THE LIFE OF COUNTESS TOLSTOY by Anne Edwards.

This is the story of the wife of the novelist Leo Tolstoy.  The private side of this marriage is seen from the perspectives of both the husband and wife.  This biography is filled with interesting facts about the inspirations behind Tolstoys famous novels and how Sonya was instrumental in Tolstoys success.  "Filled with passion, history, romance and tragedy."  

MIRACLES HAPPEN by  Mary Kay Ash (also under the title MARY KAY)

Mary Kay often said that if you expect great things, great things will happen!  In this book, she writes about her life and her uncomplicated formula for success.  She refers to herself as "an ordinary woman with extraordinary determination!"  If you are looking for a change in your life, this little book can help motivate you.  The timeless  principles she writes about are very inspirational, and can be applied to all aspects of life.   This wonderful autobiography is a quick and enjoyable read!

GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE by Amanda Foreman

Duchess Georgiana was the most prominent British woman of her day (1757-1806.)  She was beautiful, sensitive and extravagant.  This is her story of drugs, high-profile love affairs, gambling and also her battle with an eating disorder.  (She is the great-great-great-great aunt to the late Princess Diana.)  Georgianas story is senstional!  Anyone who loves historical biographies will love this "packed with information" book.  The political and fashion commentaries are also very entertaining.

Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn  by Donald Spoto

Amazing book! I absolutely love Audrey Hepburn and everything she stood for. Reading this book really added to what I knew and helped my respect for her grow even larger.

WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN by Esmerlda Santiago.

This book is about the authors chaotic childhood in Puerto Rico and then her move to Brooklyn, New York.  She writes about her journey through the public school system, the prestigious High School for Performing Arts and attending Harvard University on a scholarship.  I felt drawn into her story as she wrote about being caught in the agonizing web of dual identities, an experience many immigrants to America face.  This coming of age autobiography is written by a producer of documentary and educational films.  Esmeralda Santiago has also written for the New York Times, the Boston Globe and many mass market magazines like Good Housekeeping and Home and Gardens.  I found her writing style to be very engaging.   This book is highly recommended for readers interested in the immigrant experience and for educators.  There is an excellent  movie verson of the sequel to WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN called ALMOST A WOMAN.

This book is about the life and rise of an icon in the tennis world and how she became one of the players in the game. Its about tennis star Martina Navratilova. Its very good and you will enjoy it if you like reading about women and sports or any type of bio about women.

I just finished "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. She wrote about her Christian family getting into trouble in WWII Holland for helping Jewish friends and neighbors to hide and survive the Nazi invasion. Her father was the most lovable character with his humor and gentle nature. It was an uplifting read even through the concentration camp sections.

I was really impressed with Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Advisor to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach. It was a very well written biography of a fascinating woman who bucked Victorian convention to play a huge part in shaping the Middle East and Iraq as we know it today.

I read Mankiller: The Life of Wilma Mankiller the first female Cherokee Chief.  It is a great book about Native American history and her incredible life as well.

I also loved Grania which is historical fiction written about a female Irish Pirate who held off the English and provided for her clan.

Some of my favorites are:

Katherine Graham: A Personal History.  Ms. Graham owned and operated the Washington Post (which is still in the Graham family) before, during and after Watergate.  The book goes from cradle to grave, talking about her parents (father bought the Post), her marriage and the obsticales she had as one of the first women CEOs of a major company. 

Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire (mentioned early in the thread)

We Band of Angels, by Elizabeth Norman.  I had read Ghost Soliders by Hampton Sides and had wondered about how the female military nurses in the Pacific dealt with becoming POW's during WWII.  This biograhpy is bursting with first hand accounts of the army and navy women who were the first women to be sent into battle.  You get to know the women whose desire for adventure lead them to join the military and how their determination got them through their time in the internment camps.

Leap of Faith by Queen Noor of Jordan is excellent:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780786867172-Leap+of+Faith+Memoirs+of+an+Unexpected+Life

One of my favorites is Goodness had nothing to do with it: The autobiography of Mae West. It's remarkable what she did in her day.

Inside the Kingdom by Carmen Bin Laden was really very interesting.  Fascinating to learn how things are for women in Saudi Arabia.  I already swapped it so don't have it.  sorry.

http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Kingdom-Life-Saudi-Arabia/dp/0446577081