I continue to surprise myself by finding more nonfiction titles that interest me. As someone who reads very little nonfiction, I’m excited that more seems to catch my interest! Following along the same lines as my other recent nonfiction reads, Monster, She Wrote and The League of Lady Poisoners, Suffrage Song tells the stories of historical women largely ignored by history. Suffrage Song looks to the women who helped shape the suffrage movement in the United States, for better or worse, and tells their stories.
| Title: Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the U.S. | Writer/Artist: Caitlin Cass |
| Release Date: June 4, 2024 | Genre: Non-Fiction / Feminism / Politics |
| Publisher: Fantagraphics | Page Count: 264 |
Synopsis
“She put in her work, but there’s so much left to do.” Begun in the Antebellum era, the song of suffrage was a rallying cry across the nation that would persist over a century. Capturing the spirit of this refrain, New Yorker contributing cartoonist Caitlin Cass pens a sweeping history of women’s suffrage in the U.S. — a kaleidoscopic story akin to a triumphant and mournful protest song that spans decades and echoes into the present.
In Suffrage Song, Cass takes a critical, intersectional approach to the movement’s history — celebrating the pivotal, hard-fought battles for voting rights while also laying bare the racist compromises suffrage leaders made along the way. She explores the multigenerational arc of the movement, humanizing key historical figures from the early days of the suffrage fight (Susan B. Anthony, Frances Watkins Harper), to the dawn of the “New Women” (Alice Paul, Mary Church Terrell), to the Civil Rights era (Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker). Additionally, this book sheds light on less chronicled figures such as Zitkala-Ša and Mabel Ping Hua-Lee, whose stories reveal the complex racial dynamics that haunt this history. Impeccably researched and rendered in an engaging and accessible comics style, Suffrage Song is sure to spark discussion on the vital issue of voting rights that continues to resonate today.
Review:
The Women’s Suffragist movement in the U.S. has a long and storied history that’s fraught with problems and white supremacy. Suffrage Song not only tells the stories of the women involved with the Women’s Suffragist movement, but it also humanizes them. In addition, Caitlin Cass uses her pen to examine the wrongs done by many of these women in the name of the better good. Cass tells the stories of many women throughout the book, many of whom history has forgotten or would like to forget. Cass favors Susan B. Anthony, but she also spends ample time on other suffragist heroes like Fannie Lou Hamer.
With all the years I spent within the Mississippi educational system, I still didn’t know many details of Fannie Lou Hamer’s story until this book. Had it not been for one specialized class I took in college on the Mississippi Delta, I would likely not have known of Fannie Lou Hamer at all until this book. I enjoyed learning more about her and I’m infinitely grateful I rediscovered her story through this book.
Art:
While I loved the content of Suffrage Song, the art was more of a mixed bag. While I loved the pencil drawings and classic cartoon styles, the lettering was sometimes difficult to read. There was a lot of information packed into tiny cartoon squares, making it less accessible for newer and less-experienced comic readers.
Final Thoughts:
I think this would be an excellent resource for educators and home-school moms, especially those teaching upper high schoolers. However, due to its dense lettering, I hesitate to recommend it to teens who aren’t used to graphic novels and comics. If you are interested in the subject matter and enjoy graphic novels, I think it’s worth a read. For the information on Fannie Lou Hamer alone, it’s worth reading. I will definitely be seeking out more reads on Fannie Lou Hamer in the future.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy. All the above thoughts are my own.
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