Grit and Grace. That is the answer offered by Meryl Streep to the question: what does it take to be the first female anything? The words that universalize her message beyond the American context
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In the news
After I first told my friends that I was working on this biography, they would send me links whenever the famous photo of Anandi and two other foreign medical students would appear
The first “Brahmin” woman
I think of Anandi as the first Indian woman who left India to obtain an education. However, both Anandi and her husband Gopal never identified themselves as Indian, choosing instead
Women’s Right to Vote
Earlier this week, I watched the 2015 film Suffragette. I felt disturbed when watching the many ways in which women were exploited, abused and rendered helpless in their personal as well
Fascinating Findings
In the course of my research, I am continually introduced to a variety of fascinating topics; I enjoy going off on tangents and digging deeper in order to form a fuller understanding and the sense of wonder
The meaning of “Bai”
Although her name was Anandi, she always referred to herself as Anandibai. even signing letters by that compound name. As a result, Americans who came to know her believed that her
Glimpses of life in Anandi’s time
I often find myself reaching back into the recesses of memory in an attempt to extrapolate/imagine and accurately describe the times in which Anandi lived. I think about women’s clothes and their
Chapter 11
No, this is not about declaring bankruptcy 🙂 This is the chapter that I am currently writing. I expect it to be the penultimate chapter and that means the light at the
Earliest Asian Students in America
I am drawn to books that share some or other aspect with the story that I am engaged in telling. The common aspect can be to do with education, particularly women’s education; or,
Child Brides
Anandi Joshee was the first Indian woman who became a doctor. This was in 1886 – 130 years ago. Her story is one of triumph over unimaginable obstacles and hardships,