Penguin Young Readers has announced plans to publish a companion book to activist and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton’s bestselling nonfiction picture book, She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World. The collective biography, She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History, will be released on March 6, 2018. Alexandra Boiger, who illustrated She Persisted, will provide the artwork.
Both books take their titles from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s now-famous critique of Senator Elizabeth Warren—“She was warned. Nevertheless, she persisted”—when she tried to read Coretta Scott King’s words on the floor of the Senate. The incident took place during the confirmation hearings for Attorney General Jeff Sessions in February.
The new book will pay tribute to 13 women who have made a global impact, including Marie Curie, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Viola Desmond, Sissi Lima do Amor, Leymah Gbowee, Caroline Herschel, Wangari Maathai, Aisha Rateb, J.K. Rowling, Kate Sheppard, Yuan Yuan Tan, Mary Verghese, and Malala Yousafzai. Penguin has announced a first printing of 250,000 copies.
Clinton said in a statement, “She Persisted Around the World celebrates 13 women who overcame adversity to change the course of history across the globe. Inspired by the overwhelming response from young readers to the stories of the 13 American women shared in She Persisted, I decided to write She Persisted Around the World and hope these incredible women’s stories further empower kids to use their voices and dreams to positively shape the world around them and our shared future.”
