Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation Reviews

• Great Women Who Backed Great Men. Outstanding Book!

  
  By A3DHHQ2NGXOUAH on 2004-04-15
  Cokie Roberts did an outstanding job in this book showing the courage, strength, passion, and patriotism exemplified by the extraordinary women of our nation's history, and how they made the jobs of the men who formed our nation possible.
  
  The women had a voice that was spoken behind-the-scenes. They took care of keeping their homes safe, even defending them against attack during volatile times.
  
  The extraordinary women are role models of just how much a woman can accomplish while working in harmony with the men in their lives, which made it possible for much reform, change, and revitalization of America.
  
  This book is an outstanding read for all who are interested in the authentic power of how much influence a woman can bring while backing, supporting, and working in harmony with the men in their lives. A great example of a win/win for all.
  
  This book deserves 10 Stars! Highly Recommended!
  Barbara Rose, author of "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" and 'If God Was Like Man'
  Editor of inspire! magazine
  
  
  

• Remembering "The Ladies"

  
  By A3OYGAIC32QG2M on 2004-05-07
  Cokie Roberts thoroughly enjoyed writing this tribute to the wives of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and other prominent women of the era . The book begins in the early 1700's. It ends when the presidency of George Washington ends and John Adams is elected, in 1797.

  I appreciated the notes and the cast of characters including names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the signers of the Constitution, the players in the new government, women writers of the period, and famous soldiers and statesmen during the revolutionary war, which are included in the back of the book.

  Excerpts from many letters are included and are so beautifully written.Let your imagination wander as you read vivid accounts of the sacrifices made by families who wanted independence from England - the yellow fever and smallpox epidemics, the building of a military, the contributions made by exceptional women such as Abigail Adams and Martha Washington, as well as Phillis Wheatley, Mercy Otis Warren, Sarah Livingston Jay, and many others portrayed here.

  Cokie writes as if she is having fun telling us so many interesting facts about the "founding families", and I had fun learning more about them and relearning early American history.
  The true story of Benedict Arnold and his wife was enlightening as well as the character of Alexander Hamilton.

  You will enjoy learning about influential women in this book.
  Cokie has inserted some of her own remarks to lighten up the picture, and she carefully recounts the contributions of each state as they represented the new government at that time; the
  conflicts with the British,the alliance with the French, as well as inevitable partisan politics.
  
  

• I liked the original better

  
  By on 2004-04-21
  I liked the original book, Founding Mothers: Women of America in the Revolutionary Era by Linda Grant DePauw 1975 better. (Wonder why Amazon is not offering it...)
  DePauw gave a detailed portrait of all women of that era, including blacks and native Americans, Loyalist women and much more about the time and culture for women. Roberts just gives us a glimpse of the only culture she knows, that of elitist wealthy politicians' wives and daughters, like herself.
  
  

• Another clip job from Cokie

  
  By AKI2JAHJIDBQ5 on 2004-05-02
  Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation is a good topic. And though many other writers (of both genders) have covered the terrain, the topic was compelling enough to make me give the book a chance despite the "author."
  Like the works of too many television pundits, Cokie Roberts's "book" reads like a Power Point presentation. Calling it an "overview" would be granting it more stature than it deserves. Though an author who gleans previously well noted work done by others can't be expected to come across any new discoveries, Roberts doesn't even offer the reader an independent thought.
  The "book" has all the usual "depth" one would expect from Roberts. Perhaps as an elementary school primer the "book" could benefit some readers? The rest of us will read pulled factoids we already knew (or should have) and sweeping generalities courtesy of Cokie while we wonder why this "journalist" continues to produce books? Does she hold stock in the timber industry? She can't truly believe that these slight clip-jobs will be taken seriously by book readers. ("Author" Roberts seems to exist to satisfy the occasional curiosity of the non-reading public.)
  She's no historian, true. But to call these assembled bits of previously published facts intersped with the usual generalizations by Roberts "books" does a huge disservice to authors everywhere.
  Maybe it plays better as a book-on-tape? That wouldn't be surprising since Roberts relationship with the written word can best be termed molestation.
  Here's a topic Cokie Roberts might want to consider for her next clip job: the contributions from women of her era to journalism.
  Maybe undertaking a "book" like that -- printing "factoids" on Andrea Mitchell, Lesley Stahl, Linda Ellerbee, Carole Simpson and, yes, even Jessica Savitch -- would demonstrate to her how trivial her own career has been. Heck, even the much maligned Connie Chung has moments to be proud of. "Commentator" Cokie Roberts has nothing of note, despite being one of the few "journalists" to have such a wide reach -- op-eds (with her husband Steve), long running gigs at ABC & NPR, until recently the co-host of This Week and a regular spot on most talk programs as 'Washington expert.'
  In the broadcast medium, Cokie Roberts can continue to be a "commentator" (or windbag, depending upon one's point of view) but let's not confuse clip-jobs with "books," nor mistake magpies for "authors."
  
  

• Better in the hands of Doris Goodwin or John Krakauer

  
  By A3NXWOYRNBACTE on 2004-07-10
  The concept of this book is what interested me. I was quite inspired by the women depicted here. Unfortuantely I found the work to be poorly written. I certainly could have done without the personal commentary Cokie threaded through the book. It was as if I was being directed what to think. I "get it" I wanted to scream. The content wasn't all that bad but the book is written for the reader young reader, perhaps of high school age. I would consider it for paperback if at all.
  
  
• Great premise; terrible execution
  By A2Z53KIW51ZM3N on 2005-07-06
  This was our book club's selection for June, and we all had been excited by the topic and the author. I was disappointed reading it. The first chapter was the only fairly coherent one because Roberts stayed pretty much on-topic when describing Eliza Pinckney. After that, Roberts seemed to lose her way. The book is crying out for a good editor. Surely the editor should have cleaned up the ridiculously long paragraphs-one was over a page and went from person to person, back and forth through time, and I never could figure out the point. The book was so hard to read that it took me two weeks to slough through the 278 pages of the main text.
  
  At book club meetings, we usually have a wide range of opinions on books, but this time, the vote was unanimous: It was dreadful. A few of the comments from members were: Fascinating premise; terrible rendering; what a waste of a good topic; expected better from Roberts; got published just because it was by Roberts; jumbled; rambling; jumps around with no rhyme or reason; stream-of-consciousness; flighty; poorly-written; hard-to-read; hard-to-follow; inappropriate personal comments throughout, with almost no serious analysis of the data presented.
  
  I like buying books, but this is the first book club book that I've wished I took out of the library instead of buying.
  
  
  
• I read all this before
  By on 2004-05-06
  I was very disappointed in this book. If you have read Benjamin Franklin and John Adams you have already read 80% of this book.It was just a review of the dozens of books on the Revolutionary War. It barely mentioned Dolly Madison and basically stopped with Martha Washington, Abigal Adams and a little bit about Benjamin's roomate. Big disappointment.
  
  
• For In Style readers who've yet to graduate to People Mag
  By A3ER2NZ4O83ONY on 2004-06-23
  With Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, Cokie Roberts has provided a service to remedial readers everywhere.
  Writing on what appears to be a third grade reading level (which I hope reflects a choice she made and not her own reading comprehension level), Cokie's prodded her usual readers to put down their See Spot Run picture books.
  Trudging through page after page of facts from other books (usually better written ones), I kept attempting to think of another writer so committed to a grace-free style.
  Used to be that a writer of Cokie's ilk would put out a book (say, Joan Rivers) and no one who read it fooled themselves into thinking it was a great book or helping the nation's literacy levels. We knew it was trash and if we read it, we didn't try to justify it after the fact by praising it as anything other than a "page turner" (high praise for these type of books).
  But somewhere along the way we appear to have lost our abilities for critical thought if this repetative, plodding clip-job can be seen as anything other than a hack trying to cash in with as little work as possible. (The American dream? I don't know, we used to take pride in our work.)
  I made it to page 70 (and felt I lost several reading levels in the process) before I tossed this book. Couldn't even pass it on because though I do favor recycling, I couldn't in good faith risk inflicting the cellular damage this type of dull, graceless "writing" does to one's brain.
  I read the reviews of this hoping to find something I'd missed in the 70 pages I had read, some level on which to appreciate it.
  I didn't find any comments like that. Some argue it's "new" information. New to them, perhaps, but that's nothing they should scream from the rooftops. (Has Jay Leno's stupid American skits made people proud of their own ignorance?) I did read a review that cautioned readers not to mistake clip-jobs for books and not to mistake magpies for authors. I applaud that sentiment. It's sound, it's reasoned, it's informed, it's educated.
  But clearly there's a market for this book. I've reflected on the seventy pages read for half an hour now trying to figure out whom these people are. Then it hit me, Founding Mothers is a "book" for In Style readers who've yet to graduate to People Magazine.
  
  
• A book of fluffy "Chick" history
  By A32NMQ775E6WGW on 2004-09-15
  Don't get me wrong...I did enjoy the book. But I found it to be more a collection of anecdotes/stories and little biographies and not really all that in depth. But Ms. Roberts never did claim the book was to be an academic analysis of womens role in the "Birth of a Nation".I think it was more a collection of tales that she found interesting. I would recommend instead Gail Collins book America's Women- 400 years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines. Cokie Roberts book did confirm for me though my opinion that if it weren't for Abigail Adams there might not be a United States!
  
  
• Wonderful Look In To The Past
  By AA8DETCXH7GTR on 2004-04-28
  "Founding Mothers" is a wonderful look in to our past, and the beautiful women that served steps behind their mates, and yet-steps beyond their mates as well. I enjoyed the details included in this book, little pieces of "Original Thoughts" the women of our past have lent to us. Ms. Robert's does well in giving us a truly beautiful book to share with the women of the present and future.
  
  
• Great subject matter -- poorly written!
  By A3GI6L2763C9UN on 2005-05-03
  I used to like Cokie Roberts until I started reading this book. I love reading about the Revolutionary War and had (like other readers with comments) read the excellent biography of John Adams that was extremely well-written. Time and again in Cokie's book, she puts in little asides -- for instance early in the book when she speaks of the wedding present that Benjamin Franklin gives his daughter. He changes it from a nicer present to a spinning wheel. Cokie apparently does not think the reader "gets it" and goes on to say that such a present is akin to getting a toaster. She does this throughout the book and it is annoying. Worse, however, the narrative does not flow and it is easy to lose track of who she is talking about and when she is placing them in history. And I really do not like how Ms. Roberts keeps inserting her voice in the lives of these historic people with her 21st century sensibility. The Revolutionary War was a different time period, Cokie! I winced when I would read quotes about Abigail Adams with such Cokie asides as "she must have wanted to hit him." etc. I will look for a better book on this subject!
  
  
• Founding Mothers
  By A3JCHOHRR6O626 on 2004-04-20
  Cokie Roberts isn't showing us anything we men didn't already know. Behind every good man is even a better woman in most cases. I think we all know how much our women can change a way a man can think. But all in all Cokie tells the story about some of these women and reminds us all just what part our women have played through the years and every day of all of our lives. Its a good read, just don't tell your wife about it, the stories might go to her head. Larry Hobson- Author-"The Day Of The Rose"
  
  
• Tough People That Weaker Sex
  By A1NQ8UOWRUQFZZ on 2004-06-15
  This book is a tremendous contribution to the historical picture. Suppose you were the wife of an upper-level Colonial Army officer who, during the annual winter pause in fighting, visits the family from November to February, then he goes back off to war and is thus not around to talk to. You, the wife, now have the management of the farm/business, with perhaps 5 children to raise, with the task of planning for the family's escape should the British invade your part of the colonies, and since women were the fighters against outbreaks of deadly infectious agents (smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, tuberculosis, measles, whooping cough, etc) you could be called into this action, and, by the way, you are 7 months pregnant. Added to this is the good chance that you could deliver the child in the heat of summer (the year being about 1780) with no electric fans, no air-conditioning, and with 1780's medical knowledge (no knowledge of viruses or bacteria, and no antibiotics). As illustrated by this book, this routinely was the situation of our Founding Mothers. And of course there is more. (By the way, window screens will not be invented for 100 years, leaving folks with the interesting choice of leaving the windows open and being eaten alive by mosquitoes, or closing the windows and sweltering.)
  
  
• History Comes Alive ...
  By A1BI8PUEHA5CHW on 2006-07-03
  This is a very fascinating book and I am glad that I was able to buy it not too long ago. I remember reading the back of the book at the bookstore and thinking, "I have to have it." That first thought hasn't changed.
  
  This book is written about women who influenced the leaders of the Revolutionary War, the first Continental Congress, the first Congress, first states and so on. These are women who have managed to keep the homefires burning, raising children and oftentimes, burying children, finding ways to keep their heads above financial debt while their husbands were away at war or at debates. These are women who have given up homes and friends to be with their husbands overseas on diplomatic missions ~~ women who published their thoughts and urged other patriots to fight in the war. These are not shy wall-flowers that other historical tomes would have you believe. These women really did back their influential husbands because they are strong women themselves.
  
  This book covers the pre-War era, the Revolution, and the beginnings of a new country where it took men two years on how to decide to rule this brand-new country. This book was based on other biographies, letters exchanged among the women and among their husbands, and other historical tidbits that definitely made this book interesting. I know there are reviewers here who did not like Roberts' little asides and comments nor did they like her style of writing. I found it utterly fascinating and wanted to read more. It was disjointed in some places as she would wander off track for a little bit ~~ but I never had any trouble following her train of thought. It was just fascinating.
  
  This book is a must-read for every true history reader. Not only did it contain political thoughts that these women have written or talked about ~~ it also contained customs of the times (which in some cases really haven't changed much over the years), personal thoughts of people who were actually there in the midst of the fighting and it definitely showed the Founding Fathers ~~ not as perfect men, but as human and oftentimes flawed. They become more real because Roberts took the time to make them more human and more interesting.
  
  This book is definitely one of the top 10 for my 2006 booklist. I finished it in time to really enjoy the Fourth of July as now I understand these people a little bit better and can appreciate their fight more.
  
  7-3-06
  
  
• NO DOLDRUMS HERE.
  By A2HPVNZZF15W93 on 2004-06-04
  One of the problems with history is that it's male orientated. There isn't much about our "founding mothers." Roberts finds most of her information in the letters and diaries of these women. At the age of sixteen, Eliza Lucas (Pinckey) ran her father's three plantations, taught her sisters and slaves lessons and wrote Wills for her neighbors. Ben Franklin's common-law wife ran his print shop and her Sundry shop while he played politics. Pamphlets were the delivery system of the colonial era and it was Mercy Otis Warren, the wife and sister of revolutionaries, who bravely published pamphlets against the British government.

  _Founding Mothers_ is a fascinating read/listen. Those who consider history dull will discover this book has enough personal tidbits about our founding mothers to ward off the doldrums. Highly recommended for a personal read or for a school project.

  Brenda @ MyShelf.Com
  
  

• Let's face it, celebrity standards are lower
  By A2IM7DXUH6IXV5 on 2005-03-29
  Would this book even have been published if the author wasn't an NPR commentator? I truly doubt it. The standards for celebrity authors are MUCH lower, even if the book is supposed to be a "scholarly" work, as opposed to, say, a diet book.
  If Roberts could pull together a few facts about a woman from the Revolutionary War period (documented or undocumented), that woman landed in the book. There was no real narrative flow.
  But, if it interested a few people in the Revolutionary War period that weren't interested before, well, that's a good thing!
  
  
• Wonder Women
  By AUGRXG771N8ZP on 2005-12-09
  Cokie Roberts does an outstanding job of relating to us the stories of the women who worked behind the scenes to build our nation. The stories flow well and are intertwined with one another, as well as with Roberts' own comments. Not only do her comments provide clarity for certain points and situations, but they also provide insight into both her mind and the minds of the women involved in America's quest for independence.
  
  These women were truly outstanding. As Roberts points out, they not only spurred the Revolution and supported their husbands and sons, but they also dealt with, among other things, constant pregnancy, the death (or deaths) of children, absentee husbands, and hostile British soldiers. They wrote articles and satirical pieces to incite the fight for independence, such as in the cases of Mercy Otis Warren and Esther Reed. Like Martha Washington and Sarah Jay, they left their children to follow their husbands around the colonies and Europe. And some, like Deborah Franklin, defended their homes from angy mobs. All the while, these women provided comfort to their exhausted and worried husbands, as well as to the American public.
  
  Roberts' portrayal captures the differing opinions of the women's involvement well. She makes sure we know that women were generally supposed to stay in the home with the children. Some men did not want women to leave their "sphere" at all, such as Benjamin Franklin; he believed that all women, including his wife, Deborah, should stay out of politics. Despite this type of opposition and stereotype, many men supported their wives' involvement in the Revolution. Roberts does a particularly good job of relating to us the sentiments of men like George Washington and John Adams who staunchly supported their wives and all women. Not only did these men praise the efforts of women, but they also attributed much of the success of the new country to the females. As Washington wrote, "Nor would I rob the fairer sex of their share in the glory of a revolution so honorable to human nature, for indeed, I think you ladies are in the number of the best patriots America can boast."
  
  It is Roberts' use of quotes like these that truly enhances "Founding Mothers." She has skillfully found pertinent passages from the letters of the Founding Fathers and Mothers that both relate to us the events of the time as well as reveal to us the true character of these historic figures. They are no longer statues or names from history books; rather, they are living human beings, much like us, who had dreams and fears and emotions. Roberts does not just tell us that Abigail Adams was deeply in love with her husband or that Sarah Jay was heartbroken when her baby daughter died while the Jays were in Europe. Instead, Roberts uses quotes from these people's correspondence to make us feel as if we are these women, for we can feel the emotion in the letters.
  
  With amusing tales of their daily lives, revealing passages from their correspondence, and personal comments to make the connection to our own lives, Cokie Roberts weaves together the fascinating stories of the women who helped with the birth of our country. The result is a colorful quilt of society that creates respect for out forbearers as well as a belief that we too can influence the world around us.
  
  
• A much needed glimpse into women's lives
  By A12C3HZOWOC23U on 2004-05-30
  We have been listening to the audio version in the car. Quite enjoyable- Cokie makes the history interesting and it's a great book to listen to while driving.

  No- this is by no means a complete history of our country. And no- it does not even qualify as a complete biography of any one of these women. But, it is a much needed glimpse into the past. In general, women are ignored by history books, and she fills in some gaps. Of course, there are still huge gaps, but those say more about how women have been ignored throughout history than the thoroughness of Cokie's research.

  I would recommend this to anyone interested, and quite frankly, were I a history teacher, I would make it required reading for any American History class. Altogether too often history gets bogged down in dates and wars, and every single class can benefit from remembering that these people were human too.
  
  

• Books by Dinosaurs
  By AWJJYU51X8YKM on 2004-04-19
  What the heck happened to Cokie Roberts?!?!?!
  Yesterday I heard her respond to a question about the sorry state of political discourse by citing talk radio (she was on a local "public" station) and late night liberal comedians.(Rush who. . .? ) A year or so ago she and her husband were critcizing workers at Walmart for trying to unionize! It's hard to believe that she was part of a radio/tv network that brought down Richard Nixon. I'm not buying her book. If I want information I'll tune into Air America.
  
  
• Good and Not So Good
  By A2BG9SC3A5HJG on 2005-05-03
  The information about the various women was interesting. However, I had to go through the book a second time to be able to sort the facts about each woman separately in order to get a picture of what she was like. The book was so poorly organized that one reading left me with a mish-mash of impressions. I can't imagine why any editor would allow this rough draft to be printed. And I expected better of Cokie Roberts. I am reasonably sure that no one but a celebrity could get by with such a poor effort. Fortunately, the subject matter was arresting enough to carry me through the forest even though I often could not see the trees!
  
  
• Slow Going
  By A129GCZD2QL29F on 2005-08-12
  Interesting to a point but got bogged down in detail and never finished the book. A little too academic for me. Although the subject matter was interesting, not a "good read."
  It might be a good starting point for a history theme paper, but it is so not Cokie Roberts'original research. I was disappointed.
  
  
• Definite success especially considering all of the research
  By A11VKVODCKW1O7 on 2005-07-10
  I love, love, love this book! Roberts in her introduction points out how one is more likely to find a grocery list written by a founding father than anything written by a women. The amount of the research done is unimaginable and it shows. The format of the book is helpful by dissecting a the various lives and times and areas but still keeps them organized so one can get the general gist of the events without reading numerous individual biographies and smoothly correlates all of them so their lives eventually meet and their stories make sense.
  Another great point is how empowering it is to women as we can realize, although challenges have changed, some things such as the endurance and perseverance of women and their will-power, will, and do not, change.
  It is a great book and worth a read; once you do you will know why, enjoy!
  
  
  
• Founding Mothers
  By A2885ZASME7Z8Q on 2006-11-08
  Written in contemporary prose with plenty of opinions thrown in to spice things up, this is an eye-opener of a book with lots of discoveries to be made about Abigail Adams, Martha Washinton, Mercy Warren and their contemporaries. Did you know Eli Whitney might have stolen the idea of the cotton gin from Kitty Greene, according to no less an authority than MIT? Did you know slave Elizabeth Freeman pretty much single-handedly forced Massachusets to end slavery? What's really amazing about this book is how obvious it is that while the men may have been in revolt against the British, the women were in revolt against their condition. I don't think the men had any idea that all this revolutionary dealing would start the women down the road to Seneca Falls in 1848 and the 19th Amendment in 1920.
  
  
• It's About Time!
  By A1UL8PS42M5DM8 on 2004-04-19
  It's about time that a book was written about the extraordinary women who were obscured behind famous men throughout history. In this book Cokie Roberts does an excellent job in telling their much overlooked story and pointing out how important their contributions were to America. If you love history, I highly recommend it! Debbie Farmer, 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'
  
  
• Poorly Written, Great Subject
  By A1TID8IGN2HT6J on 2005-06-18
  I was really surpised to see how poorly written this book actually was when I read it. I had seen the History Channel special and could not wait to go and buy it. Sadly, it really turned me off on the subject because of the way it was written. I felt like I was reading more opinion than fact. I would not recommend. The story is not in sequence and is jumbled.
  
  
• Mixed - but read it to know these women better
  By A29LHMDMFFTSJU on 2005-10-21
  Like many of the other reviewers I felt the topic was very good, but the execution could have been much better. One called out for a good editor and I believe this would have helped the book. That being said, however, I think the research and the material in this book is still worth reading, so I'm going to give it 4 stars. It's a little hard to follow in spots because of the way Roberts drifts back and forth in time, but stick it out. These women of history deserve your attention! It makes me very grateful to know more about them.
  
  Now it's time for someone, maybe one of us, to tackle their stories in a more coherent way.
  
  
• Great Subject Matter . . . Horrible Writing
  By A22NLO5EIVTE94 on 2006-01-31
  This book has wonderful subject matter - very interesting and even inspirational stuff about "the women behind the men" that founded our country. However, Cokie Roberts should be ashamed of the poor writing job. The material could have been presented in a much more coherent and interesting way. I had one friend describe the book as "dry, old fruitcake." I cannot say that I disagree as it pertains to the writing quality.
  
  
• LOW-KEYED, INFORMATIVE AND PLEASING READ
  By A1MC6BFHWY6WC3 on 2006-06-22
  I rather enjoyed this low-keyed take on history. The reading was easy and it was fun and I did indeed learn some facts I was unaware of. This by no means is "hard core history" and I doubt if it was ment to be. The book of course take a look a the wives of some of our founding fathers and the role they played at the time. The book appears to be reasonably researched, as any book of the nature can be, and the author uses an easy and informative style. On the otherhand, I doubt if this work will satisfy the hard core reader of history any more than it will satisfy the reader who is wanting a cozy sort of read...it sort of falls in the middle somewhere. I read it for pleasure and did receive that from it. Recommend this one.
  
  
• A Rare History Told
  By A3UJJGY799F76I on 2004-06-11
  Here is some truly fascinating history that they just didn't teach you in school about how the wives of American presidents influenced their husbands' political decision-making and influenced the collective culture in turn. It's wonderful to see things from the vantage point of some of these remarkable women and to read these various eye-opening biographical stories of courage and sacrifice--great little anecdotes that prove that more often than not, these women were not simply sitting in the parlour-room knitting, they were taking an active political part in the life of their nation. Very informative without being dry, very well-researched and scholarly yet very readable.

  David Rehak
  author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"
  
  

• Wonderful Story, Long Past Due
  By A1M8PP7MLHNBQB on 2004-12-09
  Virtually all the stories that come down to us through the history books are about men. But men do not live in a vacuum. They all have mothers, most have wives, some have sisters or mistresses. During the time of the founding of the United States and its breaking away from England, only a few women come to mind: Betsy Ross (who maybe did or maybe didn't make that flag), Molly Pitcher (who may or may not have served that cannon at the Battle of Monmouth), Martha Washington, Abigail Adams - who else? Ben Franklin had a child, so presumably he had a wife -- he did Deborah Read Franklin and her story is the first in this book.
  
  That's about the content of the book. Each chapter is a story about one of these women along with their interactions with their husbands, family and the other women of their society. These are, for the most part, women from the upper classes of the time. It was a time when thest women "fought for the foundation of this country and they made sure that the men did not allow it to fall apart."
  
  As a professional journalist of many years standing, Ms. Roberts tells a wonderful, entertaining story that is long since past due.
  
  

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