Iron Horse Cowgirls - by Linda Back McKay & Kate St Vincent Vogl (Paperback)

About the Book

"Before Louise Scherbyn founded the Women's International Motorcycle Association, she was simply a working girl who loved motorcycling--at a time when women weren't allowed to wear pants, roads weren't hard-topped, and handlebars could come apart while riding. The hardest part? Auxiliaries she looked to for support each proved to be the wrong fit--some uncomfortably, disastrously so. All Louise wanted was for women riders to have a proper space of their own. For that she would ultimately have to forge a new path. This book tells the fascinating story of Scherbyn's journey in forming the first stand-alone women-only motorcycle association. Chapters cover 225,000 miles and two decades' worth of community-building, hostilities, physical and professional attacks, recovery, sisterhood and more. Scherbyn paved the way for women motorcyclists across the world while facing a storm of threats and uncertainties, driving ahead with newfound friends and her singular, unifying vision for women who ride."--

Book Synopsis

Before Louise Scherbyn founded the Women's International Motorcycle Association, she was simply a working girl who loved motorcycling--at a time when women weren't allowed to wear pants, roads weren't hard-topped, and handlebars could come apart while riding. The hardest part? Auxiliaries she looked to for support each proved to be the wrong fit--some uncomfortably, disastrously so. All Louise wanted was for women riders to have a proper space of their own. For that she would ultimately have to forge a new path. This book tells the fascinating story of Scherbyn's journey in forming the first stand-alone women-only motorcycle association. Chapters cover 225,000 miles and two decades' worth of community-building, hostilities, physical and professional attacks, recovery, sisterhood and more. Scherbyn paved the way for women motorcyclists across the world while facing a storm of threats and uncertainties, driving ahead with newfound friends and her singular, unifying vision for women who ride.

Review Quotes

"An engrossing tale...a poignant and multi-dimensional narrative; a carefully written, richly detailed account of one woman's vision to create a more equitable and inclusive future for all women motorcyclists."--Sheila Malone, PhD, editor, International Journal of Motorcycle Studies

"Brilliant...This is one book I look forward to reading again."--Cristine Sommer Simmons, three time motorcycle hall of fame inductee, author of The American Motorcycle Girls 1900-1950

"Brimming with amazing photographs and a captivating history, Iron Horse Cowgirls truly invites readers along for a ride--and not just one about twentieth century motorcycle culture and history. At its heart is the story of one woman's determination to pave a new road for women who wanted to ride and compete in male-dominated motorcycle spaces."--Amy C. Sullivan, PhD, Macalaster College

"In taking up the mantle of co-author Linda Back McKay's final research project, poring through the treasure trove of Scherbyn's photos and correspondence, and crafting a breezy, conversational narrative, Vogl takes readers along for the ride as Scherbyn and her fellow female 'citizen riders' carve space for themselves in the male-dominated world of motorcycling ... Imagine Louise Scherbyn's pleasure at seeing her story captured so beautifully."--Kim Heikkila, PhD, author of Booth Girls: Pregnancy, Adoption, and the Secrets We Kept and Sisterhood of War: Minnesota Women in Vietnam

"Kate St. Vincent Vogl roars across the page bringing news of the first women stunt riders with excitement and panache. This trailblazing, down-home history is a tour de force. Don't miss the show."--Elizabeth Cobbs, author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyoncé

About the Author

The late Linda Back McKay was a poet, writer, coach, and teaching artist. Her work appeared in literary publications such as Great River Review, Water Stone Review, and White Pelican Review. She taught at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Kate St. Vincent Vogl's essays appear in best-selling anthologies such as Why We Ride and Listen to Your Mother, and her fiction has received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board and from the Anderson Center. She teaches at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.