Women Who Could...And Did
Book Review

Kitaj, Karma (2002)Women Who Could...And Did: Lives of 26 Exemplary Artists and Scientists Huckle Hill Press: Chestnut Hill, MA ISBN: 0971595720 (302 pages) softcover

Some writers write with passion, some with skill, and some with solid research. Karma Kitaj wrote Women Who Could...And Did with all three.

As a woman interested in the lives of women, she chose twenty-six successful women who made their mark in the early twentieth century when the roles of women in most fields were more limited than they are today. Through a series of questions, she investigated the factors that contributed to their success and the hurdles they had to overcome.

The reader follows each woman's story and also benefits from Kitaj's conclusions about what worked and what didn't work for women in that era.

Those who like to learn from the past will appreciate the historical perspective. Those who use the lives of others as a mirror for their own will find a wealth of material for reflection.

Self-publishing is not particularly easy. Kitaj is woman who could...and did turn her academic studies into work accessible to the general public.