Finding Her Voice: A collection of Des Moines Register columns about women's struggles and triumphs in the Midwest

The Des Moines Register is pleased to present this collection of columns by Rekha Basu. Alternately inspiring and infuriating, they offer a glimpse into real women's lives inside America's heartland - and show us their power to drive change. The book introduces us to ordinary women who are finding a voice, illustrating an injustice or contributing to our understanding of an issue. You will meet the 46-year-old who gave her kidney to a stranger; the Guatemalan meat packer forced to wear an ankle monitor like a homing pigeon; the high school girl expelled for insisting she was raped at school. Some battle addiction, others lack health coverage. One struggles with the feeling she was born into the wrong sex. Dozens of others offer unforgettable stories told poignantly by Basu. Pundits tell women how we vote, politicians tell us what we need and advertisements tell us what we want. Missing are the personal experiences and struggles that shape women's campaigns for change. This book tells those stories.