Public Republic

By Marianne Schnall
Blue Mountain Arts, 2010

Reviewed by Lauren Kearney,
Bulgaria

Daring to be Ourselves is a profoundly empowering book filled with quotes written by some of the most influential women of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, such as Jane Fonda, Cameron Diaz, Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, Melissa Etheridge, Natalie Portman and many more. They all share opinions about issues of equality, caring for the earth, self-love, and words of wisdom to young girls.

I feel deeply fortunate to have had the chance to read this book.” Women are constantly putting themselves down and trying too hard to be perfect, like the artificial women we see on glossy magazines. ” It’s crucial for women to know that we don’t need to duplicate those images we see in the media.

Marianne Schnall has produced a book that will not only empower young women, but make them see how amazing it is to be a woman. She shows us that with a little more self confidence we too can be as strong and liberated as the women who she quotes.

This article originally appeared in Teen Voices