American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country.American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Kathyrn Ann Bailey Hutchison, usually known as Kay Bailey Hutchison (born July 22 1943), is the senior United States Senator from Texas. She is a member of the Republican Party. . 2004. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10022. 384 pages. $24.95. As a child, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison found inspiration in biographies. She draws upon her long-time love of learning about "people who became great contributors to our country," by highlighting the lives of 45 women from throughout history. The biographies--varied in length--feature women who excelled in different fields, including religion, education, medicine, art, aviation, public service, business, media and athletics. American Heroines incorporates the stories of well-known legends such as Clara Barton Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912), better known as Clara Barton, was a pioneer American teacher, nurse, and humanitarian. She has been described as having had an "indomitable spirit" and is best remembered for organizing the American , Mary Cassatt Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists. and Amelia Earhart with descriptions of the lives of lesser known, but still quite influential women such as Sarah Winnemucca and Oveta Culp Hobby Oveta Culp Hobby (January 19, 1905–August 16, 1995) was the first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, first commanding officer of the Women's Army Corps, and chairman of the board of the Houston Post. . Although each chapter details the lives of these women, it also includes tributes to contemporary women who are still making history, such as Lynne Cheney, Elizabeth Dole, Madeleine Albright and Barbara Waiters. Senator Hutchison presents a diverse, balanced, bipartisan group of women to the reader while she weaves in her own thoughts and connections. A proud Texan, there are numerous references to Hutchison's home state and some of the other women who have roots there. The book highlights many "firsts:" * Ann Legendre Armstrong, American's first woman ambassador to Great Britain. * Mary Baker Eddy, the only American woman to found a major religious denomination, Christian Science Christian Science, religion founded upon principles of divine healing and laws expressed in the acts and sayings of Jesus, as discovered and set forth by Mary Baker Eddy and practiced by the Church of Christ, Scientist. . * Dr. Antonia Novello, the first woman to hold the position of surgeon general The U.S. Surgeon General is charged with the protection and advancement of health in the United States. Since the 1960s the surgeon general has become a highly visible federal public health official, speaking out against known health risks such as tobacco use, and promoting disease . * Dr. Sally Ride, the first female astronaut. * Margaret Chase Smith Margaret Chase Smith (December 14, 1897–May 29, 1995) was a Republican Senator from Maine, and one of the most successful politicians in Maine history. She was the first woman to be elected to both the U.S. , the first woman elected to both houses of Congress and the first to serve four terms in the U.S. Senate. Senator Hutchison is a pioneer herself and has claimed several "firsts," including being the first woman elected from Texas to serve in the U.S. Senate and Houston's first woman television reporter. Women legislators and other women in public service may find the chapters toward the end of the book to be the most intriguing as they focus on women in politics. It is also apparent that Senator Hutchison enjoyed writing these sections of the book as they were written with energy, highlighting the common passion that Senator Hutchison shares with other political women. Also interesting to legislators may be the fact that Senator Hutchison was formerly a state legislator. She highlights the life and contributions of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was considered a strict constructionist. , also a former state legislator. There are many references to state politics throughout the book. Although Senator Hutchison is dedicated to women and pointing out their achievements throughout history, she also believes that times have changed: Women "have broken the last barriers .... The wall has come down; the glass ceiling is shattered." She asserts that "America is the best place on earth to be a woman." This book offers readers a potpourri of stories of women, and can serve as one long read or a reference to turn to when searching for short inspirational anecdotes. |
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