Let Me Be Frank

In this eye-opening compendium filled with keen and witty observations, writer, actor, and feminist Tracy Dawson showcases trailblazers throughout history who disguised themselves as men and continuously broke the rules to gain access and opportunities denied them because they were women.

“I came up with Tracy as a fellow sketch comedian on the vomit-soaked stages of the Toronto comedy scene. And like the brilliant, resourceful, rule-breaking, damn-well-stubborn sisters in Let Me Be Frank, Tracy is someone who gets the job done, and gets it done well.”―Samantha Bee, host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

“A smart, funny journey through history that introduces us to the rule breakers who made history worth traveling through.”―Patton Oswalt, author, actor and stand-up comedian

Let Me Be Frank brings together the incredible stories of diverse groups of women from different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds who have defied the patriarchy, refusing to allow men to define their lives or break their spirit. From the dawn of time to today, women have been told, “No, you can’t.” Tracy Dawson knows this all too well; she experienced it while trying to break into television writing. If Hollywood―and literally every patriarchal space throughout history―won’t allow women to sit alongside men and prosper, women have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. Whether living in 1478 BC or later, the courageous and determined women profiled in this inspiring anthology refused to let society define their actions and worth or deny them achievement because they weren’t men.

An often funny and impassioned homage to female ingenuity and strength, Let Me Be Frank profiles women who broke the rules―competing in marathons or Olympic sports, publishing books, escaping enslavement, practicing medicine, tunneling deep in the earth as miners, taking to the seas as pirates, fighting for their country, and serving on the frontlines in the military, among other pursuits. Not only did these women persist, many unknowingly made history and ultimately inspired new generations in doing so. Informative and entertaining, Let Me Be Frank celebrates these revolutionary badasses who have changed the world and our lives.

Let Me Be Frank is filled with more than two dozen specially commissioned, full-color illustrations and hand-lettering by artist Tina Berning, whose multi-award-winning work has been published in numerous publications and anthologies worldwide, and is designed by Alex Kalman.