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  • The Queens of Animation

  • The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History
  • By: Nathalia Holt
  • Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
  • Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)

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The Queens of Animation

By: Nathalia Holt
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Publisher's Summary

From the best-selling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold, "richly detailed" story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations (Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times best-selling author of Hidden Figures).

From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt Disney Studios have moved and entertained millions. But few fans know that behind these groundbreaking features was an incredibly influential group of women who fought for respect in an often ruthless male-dominated industry and who have slipped under the radar for decades.

In The Queens of Animation, best-selling author Nathalia Holt tells their dramatic stories for the first time, showing how these women infiltrated the boys' club of Disney's story and animation departments and used early technologies to create the rich artwork and unforgettable narratives that have become part of the American canon. As the influence of Walt Disney Studios grew - and while battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace intimidation - these women also fought to transform the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.

With gripping storytelling, and based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation reveals the vital contributions these women made to Disney's Golden Age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney's first female-directed full-length feature film.

A Best Book of 2019: Library Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and Financial Times

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Nathalia Holt (P)2019 Little, Brown & Company

Critic Reviews

"Think of this book as if Hidden Figures were about Walt Disney Studios instead of NASA. The Queens of Animation pulls back the curtain on a handful of influential, and largely under-recognized, women writers and animators who helped shape the early aesthetic of Disney during a time when the industry was largely a boy's club.... Holt goes from Snow White up to Frozen in this essential read ahead of the launch of Disney+ this fall." (Jeva Lange, The Week, 25 Books to Read in the Second Half of 2019)

"A riveting and essential read about the women who helped create many of the most famous Walt Disney films. Like Hidden Figures and Rise of the Rocket Girls, The Queens of Animation tells us a story we need to hear, one that was lost to history until now." (Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws)

"Readers who loved Nathalia Holt's Rise of the Rocket Girls will find so much to enjoy in this deeply researched, loving celebration of Disney's long-overlooked female pioneers. Holt evocatively blends social history, technological advances and the personal lives of these forgotten artists to champion their achievements and their extraordinary legacy." (Kate Moore, New York Times best-selling author of The Radium Girls)

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illuminating

a well overdue testimony on the legacy of women in animation. i wish id known about them when i was a kid.

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