Book Review: “We the Women”
I am familiar with Norah O’Donnell from her role as a national newscaster.
I heard a radio interview several weeks ago in which Nora O’Donnell was talking about her new book titled We the Women: Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America. I was generally interested in the interview and the book for two reasons: I like Norah O’Donnell and I already have two other books on related topics. The two related books I have are Cokie Robert’s book Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nations and Bonnie Angelo’s Fist Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents (I reviewed those two books here).
As I listed to Nora Roberts’ radio interview, I was hooked when she said that the printer who printed the U.S. Declaration of Independence was a woman – a woman who, as the printer, signed her name on the document. I wanted to know more about that woman. I ordered the book.
As I have started reading this book, I appreciate the tenacious research Nora O’Donnell – and, presumably, her co-author Kate Andersen Brower – did to find and learn about the women profiled in this book. I don’t recall hearing about these historical women in school (except Eleanor Roosevelt) – we likely didn’t hear about them. I was surprised to learn in the early part of the book that as our nation was heading toward the Revolution that we had a recognized black poet who compared Britain’s oppression of the colonies to slavery. I was surprised to learn that our first postmaster was an unmarried woman. Several of the signers of the Declaration of Independence knew – and interacted with – some of these women. I’m looking forward to more discoveries as I continue reading the book.
One of the noticeable structural features of We the Women: Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America is that its’ profiling of multiple historical women – 35 in all – makes it easily accessible to readers who wish to take in one historical person at a time. This book can be set out on a coffee table, inviting guests to learn about as many or as few of the book’s profiled individuals as the reader has time for in one sitting.
This book – and the other books mentioned above – are helping to broaden a fuller public understanding of the people – ALL THE PEOPLE – who were involved in shaping our nation. Hats off to the likes of Norah O’Donnell and Kate Andersen Brower who put in the effort to bring this information into the public sphere.. These books are a step toward making it sociologically natural to recognize both women and men’s contributions to our nation and society. I am glad that I am going to have this book on my bookshelf.
Bibliophile and would-be-antiquarian Kim Burkhardt reviews books at The Books of the Ages and at The Hermitage Within. If you are a new visitor, it would be great to have you follow this blog (thank you!). If you know someone who would like this blog, please share it with them (thank you!). FYI, you can $$ support this blog by clicking here here to do your Amazon shopping (if you click here before you start your Amazon shopping, Amazon pays us a commission when you shop via the link provided – thank you).
The Books of the Ages 