Must Read: GirlDrive

Have you ever had the urge to grab your best friend and take a road trip across America? That's exactly what long-time friends Emma Bee Bernstein and Nona Willis Aronowitz did when they embarked on their GirlDrive project. But instead of a joyride, their road trip proved to be an extraordinary adventure in which they interviewed and photographed young women across the country, finding out what is important to them and what they think and feel about feminism.

Two years and many miles later, the long-awaited GirlDrive book (published by Seal Press) is now on the shelves. The book, which includes a gorgeous mix of photos, essays, interviews, and diary entries from their trip, is a tribute to the diversity and strength of women across the country.

From a screenwriter in LA to a burlesque star in Austin, a young mother in Madison to an artist in New York City, we view honest assessments of how these women see their place in society and get an intimate look into their struggles, hopes and fears.

Though it's hard to write about GirlDrive without mentioning the tragedy of Emma's death earlier this year, I think this book should be read and remembered as a powerful and ultimately optimistic exploration of gender politics. Even as the women profiled don't agree on how they define themselves or what feminism means to their generation, the book serves as a mosaic of beauty that speaks as a whole about being a woman in America.

For more about the project, check out the interview I did with Emma and Nona exactly one year ago for this blog. You can get your copy of GirlDrive book here and follow Nona on Twitter @GirlDrive.