Allison Pataki Archives | The Nerd Daily

Historical Fiction Based On Real Female Entrepreneurs

The Nerd Daily — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 08:00:43 +0000

Guest post written by The Woman at the Wheel author, Penny Haw
Penny Haw was a journalist and columnist before turning her attention to fiction. Her works of historical fiction celebrate the achievements of remarkable, real women. Penny lives near Cape Town, South Africa with her husband and three dogs, all of whom are well walked.

Releasing on October 3rd, The Woman at the Wheel is an inspiring historical fiction novel is based on the real life of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque.

Bertha and Carl Benz were undeniably entrepreneurs. Carl’s vision of creating a horseless carriage at a time when many were yet to trust the steam train was radical. However, it was Bertha who took the pluckiest, first entrepreneurial step when she negotiated a deal with her father, allowing her to invest her dowry and inheritance in Carl’s idea before they married. From there on, Bertha worked alongside Carl behind the scenes to design, build and promote the Benz motorwagen, which became the world’s first commercially viable automobile. For the most part, only her husband knew the extent of her understanding of innovation, business, partnerships, investment, public relations, and market perception. Bertha’s intuition, coupled with her technical and fiduciary knowledge, made her the ideal partner for Carl, whose primary strengths were his engineering brilliance and resourcefulness as an inventor.

An early reader of The Woman at the Wheel was struck by how many of the challenges encountered by the Benzs in Germany in the 1800s prevail today. “Every modern day, entrepreneurial start-up needs a Bertha in their team. Her story is full of great lessons,” he said.

It’s rewarding to hear that Bertha’s legacy is not only fascinating and encouraging, but also useful. She isn’t the only female entrepreneur who has inspired historical fiction. Here are some other intriguing works of historical fiction based on the lives of real female entrepreneurs.

A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul

Cosmetic tycoons, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein created the global beauty industry at a time when women were expected to be content with the roles of wives and mothers and the use of make-up was considered improper. Independently, they created potions, lotions and salon treatments, which burgeoned in popularity and made them both millionaires. However, the women were lifelong rivals, each making decisions based on what the other did. A Beautiful Rival is fascinating with almost as many entrepreneurial “how to” as “how not to” lessons.

Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander

Josephine N. Leary was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1856. She trained as a barber. However, when she was freed in the mid-1870s, Josephine set out to learn how to manage money and make shrewd investments in the real estate market. By 1881, she’d acquired six properties in Edenton and, when a fire destroyed some of them, successfully rebuilt the premises, affirming her place as an astute real estate magnate. Carolina Built not only highlights key entrepreneurial qualities but also demonstrates the challenges of maintaining a work-family life balance as an entrepreneur.

The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little

Written from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s less famous sister, Antoinette’s perspective, The Chanel Sisters is arguably a handbook to perseverance, independence, and survival. Coco and Antoinette were taken in by Catholic nuns when their mother died and no one—not even their father—wanted them. Eventually, they set out to prove themselves worthy to a society that never welcomed them. Their journey was neither easy nor straightforward, but the sisters were determined, creative and resourceful. The Chanel Sisters reminds us that there are many twists and turns to entrepreneurial success.

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

Based on the life of Dorothy “Doll” Kirwan Thomas, Island Queen tells the extraordinary story of the woman who began her life as a slave and went on to create a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, planter, merchant, and hotelier across the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a luxury hotel in Demerara, South America. Among Doll’s most impressive entrepreneurial qualities were her courage and ability to work the system and retain her autonomy against all odds.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

Although Marjorie Merriweather Post inherited a company from her father when she was twenty-seven, it was her drive and entrepreneurial approach that saw the food company grow into the giant General Foods Corporation. She was inspired by guidelines successful entrepreneurs understand: learn all you can, think for yourself, never take success for granted, know your customers, and work hard. The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post also emphasizes the value of entrepreneurs understanding their business better than anyone else.

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Risk-taking is fundamental to entrepreneurship. The Paris Bookseller is an inspiring account of American bookseller Sylvia Beach, who faced jeopardy head on when she opened Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1919. Not only was it dicey to establish an English bookstore and lending library in France, but when James Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses was banned, Sylvia took the huge risk of publishing it. The success of the book came with costs, which mounted with the onset of the Depression and the departure from Paris of throngs of English readers. Aside of risk-taking, Sylvia’s entrepreneurship was also demonstrated by her passion for books, authors and readers, knowledge about her market and Paris, and willingness to support others in her industry.

The post Historical Fiction Based On Real Female Entrepreneurs appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

So Much More than “His Wife”

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 03:00:31 +0000

Guest post written by The Stockwell Letters author Jacqueline Friedland
Jacqueline Friedland graduated Magna Cum Laude from both the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School. She practiced as a commercial litigator at the New York law firms of Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP. After determining that office life did not suit her, Jacqueline began teaching Legal Writing and Lawyering Skills at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan and working on her first book in her limited spare time. Finally deciding to embrace her passion and pursue writing full time, Jacqueline returned to school to earn her Masters of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, graduating from the program in 2016. When not writing, Jacqueline is an avid reader of all things fiction. She loves to exercise, watch movies with her family, listen to music, make lists, and dream about exotic vacations. She lives in Westchester, New York with her husband, four children and two very bossy canines. The Stockwell Letters is out now.

Recently, as I was walking through my local town center, I passed by a little gift shop that had many of its wares displayed on tables outside. There were motivational posters, candles, and other kitschy knick-knacks. One particular sign that caught my eye read, “Well-behaved women never make history.” I was struck by the simple yet poignant sentiment of the thing. Talk about “spot-on.”

We all know that women are conspicuously absent from the historical record. It’s not because they weren’t participating in the major events of their day, they just had to do it from behind closed doors. As I researched and wrote my most recent novel, The Stockwell Letters, I was able to tell the story of Ann Phillips, who is best described as an ambitious, generous, and influential Boston abolitionist. Unfortunately, during the time in which she lived, she was known only as the wife of Wendell Phillips (also a famous abolitionist). As delighted as I’ve been to bring her story to life, I’ve realized how many accomplished, astonishing women from history are, like Ann, at risk of being lost to obscurity. Luckily, other novelists have found many of them, and by reading the books that tell their stories, we can help ensure that the legacies these women created endure.

How often have you heard the tongue and cheek expression that behind every great man there is a strong woman? For ten great novels about women from history who were so much more than simply a famous man’s wife, check out the below:

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain tells the story of Hadley Richardson, who was so much more than simply the wife of Ernest Hemmingway. Hadley’s struggle to retain her sense of self in the wake of her husband’s fame is evocative and eye-opening.

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin focuses on Anne Morrow Lindbergh who was married to the famous Charles Lindbergh but was a fascinating person in her own right. Anne’s drive for independence was as fierce as her husband’s and makes for a thoroughly engaging read.

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki follows the life of Peggy Shippen who was married to the scandalous Benedict Arnold. Pataki expertly brings to life not just Peggy, but many of the others in her life. Full of intrigue and suspense, this one is not to be missed.

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester follows Estelle Bissette, the wife of the famous French fashion designer as she and her husband struggle with the difficult events of WW II and afterwards. Spanning generations, the book examines what happens when a strong woman is forced to flee everything she has ever known.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Mileva Maric, the wife of Albert Einstein, who was also a gifted physicist. While it’s difficult to compete with a man as brilliant as Einstein, Mileva seems to have been thoroughly talented in her own right, and she may or may not have helped Einstein to reach some of his most genius conclusions.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Ann Fowler is, as its name implies, about the woman who was married to F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was also the basis for the television drama, Z: The Beginning of Everything. Zelda never imagined the trajectory of her husband’s rise to fame or how it would affect her.

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner examines the life of Catherine de Medici, who was married to King Henry II of France in the 16^th The novel offers a fresh look at a woman who has many times been cast as a villain, when in fact, the true story might be entirely different.

The Secret Life of Josephine: Napoleon’s Bird of Paradise by Carrolly Erickson tells the tale of Josephine de Baeuharnais, the first wife of Napolean Bonaparte. Glamorous and fashionable, with an exotic past, Josephine had many secrets of her own.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan is about Joy Davidman, who was married to famous author C.S. Lewis. A beautiful love story, the book focuses largely on the talent and grit of Joy Davidman.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld is based loosely on the life of Laura Bush, wife to former president George W. Bush. A story of the not-so-distant past, this book really shows what it means for a woman to stand behind her husband, even at great cost to herself.

Rather than being forgotten, the women who are brought to life through these novels now have the power to live on in perpetuity thanks to the writers and readers who continue to imagine them.

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