FromthebestsellingauthorofRiseoftheRocketGirls,theuntold,“richlydetailed“storyofthewomenofWaltDisneyStudios,whoshapedtheiconicfilmsthathaveenthralledgenerations(MargotLeeShetterly,NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofHiddenFigures).FromSnowWhitetoMoana,fromPinocchiotoFrozen,theanimatedfilmsofWaltDisneyStudioshavemovedandentertainedmillions.Butfewfansknowthatbehindthesegroundbreakingfeatureswasanincrediblyinfluentialgroupofwomenwhofoughtforrespectinanoftenruthlessmale-dominatedindustryandwhohaveslippedundertheradarfordecades.InTheQueensofAnimation,bestsellingauthorNathaliaHolttellstheirdramaticstoriesforthefirsttime,showinghowthesewomeninfiltratedtheboys’clubofDisney’sstoryandanimationdepartmentsandusedearlytechnologiestocreatetherichartworkandunforgettablenarrativesthathavebecomepartoftheAmericancanon.AstheinfluenceofWaltDisneyStudiosgrew--andwhilebattlingsexism,domesticabuse,andworkplaceintimidation--thesewomenalsofoughttotransformthewayfemalecharactersaredepictedtoyoungaudiences.Withgrippingstorytelling,andbasedonextensiveinterviewsandexclusiveaccesstoarchivalandpersonaldocuments,TheQueensofAnimationrevealsthevitalcontributionsthesewomenmadetoDisney’sGoldenAgeandtheircontinuedimpactonanimatedfilmmaking,culminatingintherecord-shatteringFrozen,Disney’sfirstfemale-directedfull-lengthfeaturefilm.ABestBookof2019:LibraryJournal,ChristianScienceMonitor,andFinancialTimes
