Our Book Club is open to anyone who loves to read and cares about Together Women Rise’s mission to achieve global gender equality. We feature fiction and nonfiction books related to:
- Gender equality
- International women’s issues
- Global poverty
- Countries where our grantees operate
- Women’s history and accomplishments
- Memoirs/biographies of strong women who changed the world
We use Goodreads to share, review, and discuss books. Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Together Women Rise’s volunteer Moderators post books regularly and generate online discussions.
How to Join
- Go to Goodreads and create your free account.
- Click on the “Community” tab, then “Groups” and search for Together Women Rise.
- Click “Join Group” button below our logo.
- Click on the Book Shelf to view or add books.
- Invite your chapter members or friends to join.
- Attend quarterly Book Club events
- Discuss what you have read with other Book Club members.
Together Women Rise Big Read Events
Each quarter, we select one book that we will feature for Together Women Rise’s “Big Read”, and we encourage everyone to read this book at the same time! We highlight the book in our newsletters and on social media, and host a virtual book club gathering to discuss the book.
2025 Book Club Events
These events are free, but registration is required. All are welcome!
Wednesday, February 12 at 12 pm ET/9 am PT
Book: Play Like A Girl: How a Soccer School in Kenya’s Slums Started a Revolution by Ellie Roscher
Guest Speakers:
Ellie Roscher, author
Katy Troyer, Executive Director of the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy Foundation
Synopsis: Play Like a Girl tells the inspiring story of the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy (KGSA), founded by Abdul Kassim in 2006 to empower young women living in the slums of Kibera, Kenya. Abdul, raised by women and deeply aware of the gender inequalities in his community, initially started a girls’ soccer team in 2002 to offer emotional support. However, he soon realized that soccer alone was insufficient to address the systemic issues faced by these girls.
KGSA was established to provide academic, artistic, and athletic opportunities, offering more than just sports to the 130+ students it serves annually. The academy aims to inspire young women to advocate for change within their communities and across Kenya. The book captures Abdul’s vision and the stories of the staff and students, sharing their collective efforts to create lasting change in a community marked by adversity.
Date & Time TBD
Book: The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them by Karla Tatiana Vasquez
Guest Speaker: TBD
Synopsis: This is so much more than a cookbook! This beautifully photographed cookbook celebrates the vibrant culture and community of El Salvador through 80 recipes and stories from 25 Salvadoran women. Food historian Karla Tatiana Vasquez, searching for the recipes of her childhood, decided to document the dishes and traditions she couldn’t find online. What began as a personal project turned into a shared collection of stories and recipes from the women in her life.
The book features dishes like Rellenos de Papa, Flor de Izote con Huevos Revueltos, and various Salvadoran Pupusas, accompanied by personal histories. The women share their experiences of life in El Salvador before the war and their journeys surviving in the U.S., preserving their stories for future generations.
Registration Coming Soon!
Date & Time TBD
Book: How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Imbue
Guest Speaker: TBD
Synopsis: Imbolo Mbue’s second novel, How Beautiful We Were, tells the gripping story of a small African village, Kosawa, struggling against the destructive forces of an American oil company. Environmental damage caused by pipeline spills has left the land infertile, and toxic water is killing children, while the promises of reparations and clean-up from the company are ignored. With a corrupt government serving its own interests, the villagers are left with no choice but to fight back, setting the stage for a long, painful struggle.
The novel is told from the perspective of Thula, a young girl who grows into a revolutionary, and her community, as they stand up to the reckless pursuit of profit by Western corporations and the lingering impact of colonialism. How Beautiful We Were explores themes of resistance, sacrifice, and the fight for freedom, highlighting the power of a community’s determination to protect its ancestral land. Through this powerful and emotional narrative, Mbue addresses urgent issues of greed, environmental destruction, and justice.
Registration Coming Soon!
Inspiring Books for Young Readers
The Together Women Rise Book Club Committee has put together a list of book recommendations for the young people in your life. Books have been suggested for different age groups, from toddlers to teens, and include stories about girls’ empowerment, young changemakers, and the different cultures and countries where Rise supports women and girls. Any of these books would make great for children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or any young person in your life!