Anandi led a very diff erent life from other girls of the times. Her husband

wanted her to study and made sure she could attend school. At the age of

twelve, faced with a terrible loss, Anandi decided to become a doctor so she

could help others. And she wanted to do so by going to faraway United States.

Overcoming unimaginable odds, Anandibai made her way to Pennsylvania, at

one of the very few medical colleges worldwide to admit woman students.

She faced harsh criticism from people in India, and had to give a public

lecture explaining why she was going to America. As an eighteen-year-old,

she adjusted to life in an alien land and studied hard, becoming the fi rst Indian

woman to get a medical degree in the US.

Anandibai Joshee faced terrible physical abuse, ill health, and discrimination,

yet she remained calm and graceful. In this biography, her life and times come

alive-her ambition, the stories of other pioneering women like her, and

how she spoke up about the equality of men and women. Her story remains a

beacon of hope for every girl everywhere.