Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts

I just realized I've been reading a LOT of historical books lately, wow. Not a norm for me, but a nice way to "broaden my horizons" when it comes to book selection. I read this book several years ago and liked it. This past Christmas, I gave a copy to a friend and decided to read it again so it's fresh in my mind if she wants to talk about it.

We all learned about our country's founding fathers in school, but the women behind them are generally skipped. This book tells the founders' story from the perspective of the women involved, which I found to be a very interesting angle. I was surprised at how involved the women actually were in the formation of the United States and all of the decisions that led up to it. The majority of the information in the book comes directly from the letters that the women passed between themselves and the men in their lives.

My favorite quote, a reminder from Abigail Adams to her husband John, was simple: "Don't forget the ladies." And though it took MANY years for women to be given equal rights, it's clear that from the beginning women were a force to be reckoned with in this country.

Would I recommend this book? Yes! It's a good nonfiction supplement to anyone's reading list.