Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Mary Wears What She Wants' by Keith Negley

A cute, satirical, and simple children's picture book about the "origin" of Mary Edwards Walker.

Too simple, really, considering that it's about someone who not only got arrested multiple times just for wearing men's pants, but who would become a female doctor in the 19th century. Going above and beyond still in brilliance, she was a surgeon in the American Civil War. Even to this bloody day Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1865.

AND she supported women's right to vote, of course.

How do I keep never hearing of these amazing women in history and their accomplishments? There are so, so many of them, and far, far too many of them keep getting erased; never talked about, never taught in classes, never educated on. They are lost.

This needs to change. Is feminism still a taboo subject in schools? Why? It's not merely about feminism anyway, it's just plain common sense, courtesy, and education.

Education. Remember that vital part of life; early life in particular?

But books like 'Mary Wears What She Wants' can be a good starting point. After the simple, sweet and funny little story - about equality and how clothes are clothes and it is ridiculous to gender them - it gives the reader more information about Mary Edwards Walker, the marvellous, brave and talented doctor and suffragette and activist extraordinaire who never, ever backed down from wearing "men's" clothes, no matter what.


“I’m not wearing men’s clothes, I’m wearing MY clothes.”


From clothing, to other aspects of society. Continue to challenge and change the countless ways the patriarchy controls our everyday lives. The system can and should be smashed.

'Mary Wears What She Wants' conveys the message that girls can wear whatever they want, and that times need to go on changing, progressing, for the betterment of humankind. This fact, this evolution, is inevitable. Screw societal norms.

I wish that the book made the point also that boys can wear dresses, to make it even better, and for its message to be stronger.

And was Mary's father really the only person in her life who supported her from the start? Who encouraged her to keep going, keep making her own choices (like that was easy for females in the 1840s!), after all the hostile pushback from other people got her down and she nearly gave up wearing pants? At least she had accepting schoolgirl friends at the end, who joined her in her "radicalisation" and "revolution" of girls not wearing uncomfortable dresses that prevented them from having fun and being kids.

Trousers equals freedom! (Trousers have pockets, for one)

Final Score: 3.5/5