A review by judyward
Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts

4.0

I picked this book because I'm teaching a class on American women--you know, the wild and the wicked--and found it fascinating. The follow up book to Founding Mothers, this volume deals with the stories of American women from the Revolution to the disputed election of 1824 and the "corrupt bargain" that brought John Quincy Adams to the White House. The tone is gossipy rather than scholarly, which made for fun reading, and Roberts relies heavily on the letters written to and by the ladies highlighted in this volume. Thank goodness for the letter writers. They traded news, gossip, observations, etc. about the personalities and the issues of the day. Fascinating insights into Abigail Adams, Louisa Adams, Dolley Madison, Martha Washington, and countless others.