Southern Women: More Than 100 Stories of Innovators, Artists, and Icons

by Garden and Gun

From the award-winning Southern lifestyle magazine Garden & Gun comes this rich collection of some of the South’s most notable women.

For too long, the Southern woman has been synonymous with the Southern belle, a “moonlight and magnolias” myth that gets nowhere close to describing the strong, richly diverse women who have thrived because of—and in some cases, despite of—the South. No more. Garden & Gun’s Southern Women: More than 100 Stories of Trail Blazers, Visionaries, and Icons obliterates that stereotype by sharing the stories of more than 100 of the region’s brilliant women, groundbreakers who have by turns embraced the South’s proud traditions and overcome its equally pervasive barriers and challenges.

Through interviews, essays, photos, and illustrations these remarkable chefs, musicians, actors, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, designers, and public servants will offer a dynamic portrait of who the Southern woman is now. The voices of bona fide icons such as Sissy Spacek, Leah Chase, and Loretta Lynn join those whose stories for too long have been overlooked or underestimated, from the pioneering Texas rancher Minnie Lou Bradley to the Gee’s Bend, Alabama, quilter Mary Margaret Pettway—all visionaries who have left their indelible mark not just on Southern culture, but on America itself.

By reading these stories of triumph, grit, and grace, the ties that bind the sisterhood of Southern women emerge: an unflinching resilience and resourcefulness, an inherent love of the land, a singular style and wit. And while the wisdom shared may be rooted in the Southern experience, the universal themes are sure to resonate beyond the Mason-Dixon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books, Biography

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2019

Reviews

[Lisa Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was inspired! Me and 3 girlfriends host a quarterly Garden & Gun themed dinner party. After reading this, my Spring themed party will happen just in time for Phase 2 opening in my state - fingers crossed - but with our group of less than 10! All recipes for the meal were culled from women featured in the book. Procured beer and spirits from women entrepreneurs featured in the book and made a playlist for the night from women musicians featured in the book! What a delightful way to celebrate women! I learned much about women and cultures within the southern culture of which I was completely unaware! A super inspiring and educational ready.

[G.G. Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really wonderful reading about so many amazing women, many whom I hadn't heard about before. Their stories are worth telling, and worth being heard. I encourage everyone to pick this book up, and learn a little bit about the strength of southern women.

This book covered women of all ages, races, socioeconomic backgrounds, you name it. It really was all encompassing, and the only negative was that, for several of the stories, I just wanted more. I wanted to know more about them. So I looked them up on my own, and continued my education.

It was a light read, which never delved too heavily into one woman in particular. But it was great to see all that these women had achieved.

[Jo Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a Christmas present, and I've loved reading it. I knew a lot of the women, like Sissy Spacek, Rosalynn Carter, Alison Krauss, Flannery O'Connor, Carol Burnett, Laura Bush, Loretta Lynn, Jesmyn Ward, Eudora Welty, Beyonce, Fannie Flagg, Octavia Spencer, Reese Witherspoon, Dolly, Lucinda Williams, etc. Others I had never heard of, and a few I only recognized after reading about them, like Mary Margaret Pettway, a Gee's Bend quilter, and Mary Jackson, a sweetgrass basket designer. I love being a Southerner, and this book only gave me more reasons to be proud of my heritage!

[Andee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It’s ok. Pretty much what you’d expect with a few canned quotes from a handful of celebrities, some bigger than others. It’s very forgettable. I didn’t finish it, I stopped around page 52. I get the gist of it and I’ve read enough to know I don’t want to read anymore because I’m already bored.

[Sally Kilpatrick]

For the most part, this book represented a great variety of southern women. I still think there's a lot of mythologizing on the subject, but, Garden and Gun does their best to talk about Southern women from all over.

Still a little miffed at the last woman who thumbed her nose at athleisure, but whatever. It takes all kinds. At least that's why my granny used to say.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is edited by a publication with the incredolous name of Garden and Gun, this is an entertaining coffee table book of 100 Southern Women from authors, performers. trendsetters and icons.

[Cece Harbor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treated myself to this beautiful book while visiting NOMA while on vacay in NOLA. This is a beautiful collection of Belles is so inspiring. I especially look for representation of women from the Lowcountry and it did not disappoint.

[Mary Carol]

I am now skipping around. My rating of what I’ve read so far: 3.5

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this coffee table book of Southern women. I like that they include a wide range of different professions from artisans and chefs to authors and actors. The profiles that I enjoyed the most delved into identity issues of what it means to be Southern.

[Sarah Wennerlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walked away from this book incredibly inspired. A must-read for Southern women (in truth or of spirit) everywhere.

[Susan Beam-Gilleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot about a lot of remarkable women.....

[Catherine O'Halloran · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 months of listening to this on walks

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Garden & Gun magazine and the books they publish are always great, so I was really looking forward to Southern Women and it did not disappoint. Organized into seven categories, performers & players, chefs & mixologists, innovators & iconoclasts, artists & artisans, singers & songwriters, writers & readers, and tastemakers & trendsetters, 123 Southern women are highlighted. Some are well-known names like Oprah Winfrey and Dolly Parton, but I liked that Garden & Gun chose to highlight some newer faces that are already making a name for themselves in various industries in the South. A great collection of stories about women that show all the diversity and drive women have in the South, both in the past and present.

[Christie McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book!