mlottermoser's review against another edition
2.0
I found the insights into women in early United States history fascinating, but the information was not conveyed in a clear and interesting way. I got through less than 10% of the book before I moved on to something else.
mariajaramillo17's review against another edition
Lo siento, no fui capaz.
Lo dejare en paro por el momento
Lo dejare en paro por el momento
witchofthemountains's review against another edition
3.0
This book was kind of hard to get into, but I lay that at the feet of Abigail Adams rather than Cokie Roberts. Roberts' writing style is respectful but playful, engaging without distracting from the information presented. Adams, however, is not among the first ladies I enjoy learning about, her views being rather out of alignment with my own. I found Dolly Madison much more engaging, though I will admit that Roberts' writing style endeared everyone but Abigail Adams to my by the end.
This is a side of history we're not often taught. When we learn of women in history at all it is either presented as the blazing stars that broke free of society to leave their mark, or it is the oppressed suffering more or less silently. These women are neither archetype. They worked within the system they were given to better their lives and the lives of their fellow citizens. It's inspiring in a way I haven't often been inspired before and I fully intend to seek out more of Roberts' books, particularly on this topic.
At a time when myth is becoming more important than fact in our political narrative, having a solid understanding of the truth of our history is very important. Books like Roberts' help us develop that understanding.
This is a side of history we're not often taught. When we learn of women in history at all it is either presented as the blazing stars that broke free of society to leave their mark, or it is the oppressed suffering more or less silently. These women are neither archetype. They worked within the system they were given to better their lives and the lives of their fellow citizens. It's inspiring in a way I haven't often been inspired before and I fully intend to seek out more of Roberts' books, particularly on this topic.
At a time when myth is becoming more important than fact in our political narrative, having a solid understanding of the truth of our history is very important. Books like Roberts' help us develop that understanding.
eliser217's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book on a whim because it was on sale in the Kindle store. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I'm not a huge history buff, but it was really interesting to learn about a side of history you don't see in history class. Dolley Madison and Abigail Adams end up being a footnote in textbooks, but they actually influenced a lot more than they were given credit for.
sigmamorrigan's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book over 6 years ago after hearing about on NPR, and I'm quite sad that I only just got around to reading it. Cokie Roberts provides an in-depth and engaging view of the influential women of the early United States: First Wives, philanthropists, business women, abolitionists, and more. The women of the day were letter writers just as prolific as the men, which is a blessing. Roberts makes good use of all of that primary source material to weave together the stories of women from the presidency of John Adams to the election of his son, John Quincy. Going through this definitely rekindled my desire to get my hands on the letters themselves, as they are clearly treasure troves of interesting information. I would highly recommend reading this book.
marystevens's review against another edition
4.0
Cokie Roberts, our former Mayor Barbara Sigmund's sister, paints a vivid picture of what the women of the second half of the Revolutionary War era were saying and doing while the men struggled to form a new nation out of the colonies and the frontier. We get a much fuller picture of what the men were really like as they wrote to their women folk and also of the behind the scenes work of the ladies. It was considered unseemly for a man to campaign for himself; surrogates would campaign for him and the wives would preside over balls and parties that would facilitate their husbands aspirations.
She also covers important women outside of politics, like Emma Willard who founded the first secondary education for girls (where I went to school) and St. Rose Duchesne who founded the Sacred Heart Schools (where I sent my daughter) . There's a long passage on Sacajawea too.
It's an informative and fun read.
She also covers important women outside of politics, like Emma Willard who founded the first secondary education for girls (where I went to school) and St. Rose Duchesne who founded the Sacred Heart Schools (where I sent my daughter) . There's a long passage on Sacajawea too.
It's an informative and fun read.
pelachick's review against another edition
4.0
Not quote as good as the first book but still quite entertaining. It is interesting to read some history of the beginnings of the country from the point of view of the women.
libraryjen's review against another edition
3.0
If you're looking for in-depth historical analysis, look elsewhere. If you're looking to learn a bit about these ladies and this time period and be entertained at the same time, give this one a try. I've heard criticism that Roberts judges some of these people through modern eyes without giving a lot of thought to the prevailing views of the time, and I have to agree. However, when that happens it's obvious and the reader can draw their own conclusions easily enough.
I found this book to be a nice overview of the roles of some of the most influential women in America at the time. It lays a nice foundation for further research if you're so inclined.
I laughed and I learned as I listened to (narrated by the author). I definitely recommend it. 3 solid stars.
I found this book to be a nice overview of the roles of some of the most influential women in America at the time. It lays a nice foundation for further research if you're so inclined.
I laughed and I learned as I listened to
lizdesole's review against another edition
3.0
I love the topic and loved her previous book "Founding Mothers" so I was a bit disappointed with this. The stories were not as engaging although that might not be the author's fault. I also found the book poorly organized. It really could have benefitted from subheadings at the very least to transition from one person's story to the next within a chapter