Madame Secretary by Stephanie Dray – 528 pages
ARC from Berkley Pub and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.
When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.
But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Madame Secretary by Stephanie Dray will introduce you to one of the most brilliant minds in our country’s history and one I sadly knew nothing about. If you’re familiar with Frances Perkins then you’re ahead of the game.
Perkins was the first woman to serve as a federal cabinet member in the US. She was brought on under Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the Secretary of Labor for twelve years. It was simply disheartening to learn about her struggles with men who treated as less than because of her gender. But it was equally joyful to learn about the men who treated her as their equal. Her mind was creative, constructive, and served the people of the United States.
Add Dray’s insanely good writing skills and you’ll understand why I enjoyed this one so much. The characters came to life with nuance and candor. Especially Perkins: her mission and dedication to make the US a better place was incredible. It’s crazy how much I appreciated story. She had guts, brains, and heart. Things like social security and child labor laws were spirited and carried out by Perkins. Well done!
Check out her last book The Women of Chateau Lafayette for more of her historical fiction.
Quotes I liked:
I could never allow romantic love to obliterate my responsibility to love mankind.”
“Because to me loved, really loved, one must be known, and I find that terrifying.”
“Around these parts, party politics is religion.”
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