Becoming Madam Secretary is biographical historical fiction and shares the story of the first female Secretary of State in the U.S., Frances Perkins.

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, Politics, New York City and Washington D.C.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary of Becoming Madam Secretary

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Becoming Madam Secretary. Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub for a complimentary e ARC of #BecomingMadamSecretary upon my request. All opinions are my own.

A difference maker…

In the early 1900s, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City and becomes actively involved in the social scene and various causes. Frances also meets Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Even though they dislike each other at first, they will have a dynamic and historic partnership over the next twenty years. Frances served as the first female Secretary of Labor from 1933-1945 and was relentless in her fight for workers’ rights, safety laws, and Social Security.

My Thoughts:

An Untold Story For Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is an excellent opportunity to share the story of Frances Perkins. I’ve never heard of Frances Perkins which is astounding to me because of the important role she played in the establishment of workers’ rights and Social Security. She was the first woman to serve in a Presidential Cabinet and was Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945. Frances was relentless in her advocacy for fair labor laws and safety standards in factories. She fearlessly engaged in male-dominated politics, raised a daughter, and attended to her husband and his mental health challenges. Sexual harassment in the workplace was a troublesome fact of life for women in the early 1900s workforce, but she dealt with it. Have you heard of Frances Perkins?

Well-Researched

I greatly appreciate and trust Stephanie Dray’s well-researched and well-written historical fiction work. She is careful not to reimagine history to fit a modern agenda. Her author notes are not to be missed as she details her writing decisions. If something is ambiguous, she wrestles with it and evaluates all the evidence. A case in point: for perspective on Frances Perkins and her romantic life she interviewed her grandson. He has a certain opinion about his grandmother based on her past history and actions. Dray takes his viewpoint as the deciding factor in her characterization of Perkins. (see author notes) I appreciate this diligence and dedication to getting things right.

Early to Mid-Century 1900s United States

Dray provides an excellent picture of life for working people in the United States in the first half of the 20th Century as she explores workplace safety, working hours, conditions for factory workers, and long-term financial security. As you might suspect, this story is very much pro-union. Many of us might take these improvements for granted and never consider the plight of those who didn’t have the same assurances and protections.

Sacrifice

I appreciate the balance the author achieves in exploring the personal and professional lives of Frances Perkins. Are the sacrifices a man makes viewed differently from the sacrifices a woman makes? Do we judge her more harshly? Does extraordinary accomplishment always involve sacrifice? In Becoming Madam Secretary, we observe many of the sacrifices Frances Perkins made for the greater good. Some readers might judge her or evaluate her as unlikable despite her commitment to effect change. It’s a difficult balancing act for a woman.

Content Consideration: mental health challenges, workplace harassment, depression, miscarriage

Recommending Becoming Madam Secretary

Reading the untold stories of incredible women is one of my favorite subgenres of historical fiction. Even though the author includes politics of the day and labor negotiations (which might be tempting to skip over), she also provides a compelling characterization of a successful woman who is credited with numerous achievements. Fans of U.S. history and untold stories of influential women will enjoy Becoming Madam Secretary. Book clubs might find a great deal to discuss here.

Related: You might enjoy other books I’ve reviewed by Stephanie Dray: The Women of Chateau Lafayette, My Dear Hamilton, America’s First Daughter.

My Rating:  4.5-5 Stars

Meet the Author of Madam Secretary, Stephanie Dray

STEPHANIE DRAY is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into ten languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. She lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.

* Website: StephanieDray.com

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QOTD:

Is this biographical histfic on your TBR or have you read it?

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