RISE, GIRL, RISE

Activist Steinem and Nobel Peace Prize winner Gbowee join voices in this feminist call to action.

As a child, Gloria travels the United States with her parents, noticing the inequities faced by girls and women. Meanwhile, Leymah is a curious youngster growing up in the lush Liberian rainforest, where, starting in 1989, civil war rages, disproportionately affecting women and girls. The two don’t know it, but they are walking a road of activism that will lead them to one another. On Easter Sunday in 2009, the two—now grown women—meet in person and become “sister-friends,” igniting their shared mission to build a more feminist future. Their lyrical narrative is bolstered by Yangni’s playful mixed-media illustrations. Despite its inspiring message of female strength and solidarity, however, the book feels unfocused. After briefly touching on Gloria’s and Leymah’s childhoods, it shifts to scenes of girls and women preparing for protest, with vague observations about resilience and unity but no clear goals or context. The rallying cries are powerful, but readers may be left unsure what actions to take or how Gloria and Leymah fit into feminist history. Background characters in the artwork are uniquely and carefully rendered, diverse in race, body shape, and ability.

A visually powerful feminist primer that inspires emotion, even if it stops short of showing the way forward.