1.
Almost Famous Women
By Megan Mayhew Bergman
Because
your friend is a superstar...always.
Megan Mayhew Bergman's beautifully crafted new short-story
collection,
Almost Famous Women,
focuses on real women who lived exceptional lives and deserve to be
remembered—especially because they've been largely forgotten. These
women (like their better-known peers, Joan of Arc or Eleanor Roosevelt) take
risks that put them in emotional or physical peril, often in pursuit of
happiness. Our favorite: Hazel Marion Eaton, who rode an Indian motorcycle in a
motordrome in 1921. As Hazel lies on the hospital bed after an accident,
Bergman imagines her reflecting on her earlier years growing up in the country
and what led her to pursue her untraditional career: "What makes you empty
and what makes you full?" Others tales include the adventures of Oscar
Wilde's niece, Dolly, and the aviator Beryl Markham—both of which
serve as a reminder that every life has a story behind it, sometimes
fascinating enough to be turned into compelling fiction.
— Michele Filgate
