Becoming Madam Secretary: How a woman changed America during The Great Depression

Many today consider Social Security benefits a non-negotiable part of American life, something we’ve always had and will have. But Social Security wouldn’t exist without the hard work of Ms. Frances Perkins, the first woman who served on a presidential cabinet as FDR’s Secretary of Labor. During the throes of The Great Depression, Ms. Perkins’ persistence in the face of personal tragedy, political criticism, and blatant misogyny not only gave Americans the New Deal, but also paved the way for women who wished to serve in public office.

And yet, until I read Stephanie Dray’s Becoming Madam Secretary, I had never heard of Frances Perkins.

Anyone interested in history, public service, and the evolving role of women in America during the 20th century should read Dray’s new release.

Premise

Dray’s new novel published March 12. Check it out!

With poverty devastating the US and war brewing in Europe, FDR won the American presidency and immediately asked Frances Perkins to serve on his cabinet as Secretary of Labor. The two had become acquainted in New York political circles, and Perkins was not always a fan of the crafty, arrogant Franklin Roosevelt. But after illness tainted both of their lives, they developed a friendship and political partnership that would change  the trajectory of modern America.

What I liked

Frances intrigued me from the start. She grew up in a comfortable middle class family in Massachusetts, attended college, and taught physics and biology. But by 1910, she felt compelled to help the poor, and her interests turned to social reform. 

Early in the novel, when contending with another female social reformer who questions Frances’ motivations, Frances replies,

“… many people in America believe poverty is a moral problem having to do with spirits, sloth, or some other sin we can blame on individuals. But I believe that poverty in America is an economic problem that can be solved, and I intend to solve it.”

Go Frances! Early in her social reform days, when she was accosted by a pimp, Frances literally beat him off with her parasol. This woman had pluck! (Which sometimes worked against her with the press and political adversaries.)

After earning a masters degree in economics and sociology from Columbia, Frances became the secretary of the New York Consumers League. In that role, she investigated working conditions and fought for laws to limit working hours. In 1918, she was the first woman appointed to the New York State Industrial Commission, which put her in contact with several influential politicians, including FDR.

I also enjoyed learning about FDR and his determination in the face of polio, world war, and a failing economy. Even though he and Frances didn’t always see eye to eye, he recognized her talent and bolstered her career. Without Frances, The New Deal might never have happened. FDR and Frances cared deeply not only for the rights of the poor, but for the survival of the country. Their passion is as relevant today as it was while they fought for American democracy.

If we don’t lend a hand to millions of folks out there who’ve lost everything, they’ll be sitting ducks for nationalist demagogues. Just look at what happened in Italy and Germany. It’s going to come to blows one day. We’ve got to give our people a reason to believe in our democratic system so they’ll stand up of it. If we want to keep our American way of life alive and well, we need to give our folks some security and a democracy worth fighting for.”

FDR speaking in Becoming Madam Secretary.

In Becoming Madam Secretary, Dray highlights the sacrifice and struggle of working in public office, especially for a woman in the early 20th Century. Frances’ husband struggled with bipolar disorder, and eventually moved to an institution. She kept his condition quiet to avoid public scandal. Her often petulant daughter resented having a such a busy mother, adding more stress to Frances’ life. Dray deftly examines the precarious balance between motherhood and career, still so relevant today. She also highlights the burden Perkins carried as she broke barriers for other women.

I was coming to the uncomfortable realization that other women felt a strong personal investment in my career. Even those who weren’t my friends. Beyond any policy I might advance, they wanted to see me succeed. As if my rise validated their won ambitions and self-worth as women. It was both an honor and a terribly humbling to hold such a mantle.

While the events of Becoming Madam Secretary happened almost 100 years ago, they ring familiar in today’s political climate. For example, as Hitler made concerning changes in Germany, Frances fought to bring Jewish refugees to the United States. “Nativists” at the time accused her of being a communist and worse. The rhetoric echoes some of the language we hear today regarding immigrants.

What I didn’t like

Becoming Madame Secretary started slowly for me. There were also lots of characters introduced in the early chapters, and the name dropping made me feel like a newbie politician in the New York legislature. At times, the dialogue, especially between Frances and her friend and admirer Sinclair Lewis, felt awkward and stilted. However, as the book progressed, it sucked me in and I looked forward to reading about Frances and finding out how she managed to get her policy passed.

Recommendation

I have read several of Dray’s other historical fiction novels, including My Dear Hamilton and The Women of Chateau Lafayette. Becoming Madam Secretary is one of my favorites. If you love historical fiction or inspiring stories about strong women, you should read Becoming Madam Secretary. Dray’s novel is the perfect way to celebrate Women’s History Month.

If you want to learn more about Frances Perkins, the most recent episode of the What’s Her Name Podcast features a discussion with Stephanie Dray about the amazing Frances Perkins.

Have you read or learned about an amazing woman recently? Please share in the comments!

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

What Word Nerds need to know about Leap Year

Graphic: What's up with Leap Year

We only get an extra day in the year, a “leap day,” every four years… ish. And it all has to do with science, politicians, and the church. Sound familiar? Leap Year started way back in ancient times, but the same things are influencing our daily lives today. Let’s review how Leap Year got started.

The Science

It takes the Earth 365 and 1/4 days to orbit around the sun. (365.242190 days if you want to be exact.) It takes our Earth 24 hours to rotate on its axis and complete one day. Since the time of Earth’s orbit isn’t divided evenly with the time of one day, we have some extra time building up each year. A “common year” is really 52 weeks plus one day. If we didn’t account for it, the seasons would start to drift, and we’d be celebrating Thanksgiving when the tulips are blooming. So, the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar introduced a Leap Year in BCE 45 to keep the Roman Calendar aligned with the solar calendar (which is based on Earth’s relationship to the sun.) Which gets us into the politics.

The Politics (and the science)

Ancient Hebrew, Buddhist, and Chinese calendars were based on the position of the moon as well as the earth’s relationship to the sun. Hence, they were called “lunisolar.” One year measured by lunar cycles was 11 days off from one year measured by the earth’s orbit. So, the people in control of such things would add extra time, called “intercalary months” into the calendar to make up the difference. The ancient Roman calendar had 10 months plus a loosely defined winter period called “Mercedonius.” (Ugh, imagine not knowing how long winter would be and depending on politicians to decide!) They eventually added January and February to extend the year but still had Mercedonius. In fact, consuls decded when to add Mercedonius, and they manipulated the calendar for political gain. (Again, sound familiar?)

By the time Julius Caesar became emperor of Rome, the Roman calendar and the solar year had fallen far out of line. When Caesar had traveled in Egypt, he took a liking to the way they set up their calendar, which was a 365 day year with one extra day added every four years. But, it wasn’t a perfect fix.

Enter The Church

By the 16th Century, the Roman Catholic Church noted a significant shift. The holy day of Easter was slipping away from its regular time, the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, by roughly ten days. So then Pope Gregory XIII called for an updated calendar, one that dictated that Leap Years would not happen EVERY four years. If a year was divisible by 100, but NOT by 400, that Leap Year was skipped. So, 2000 was a leap year, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not. And that’s how the Gregorian Calendar, the one we follow today, was made.

Why is it called Leap Year?

As I said earlier, a common year is 52 weeks + one day. That means as the years pass, the day of your birthday shifts forward one day. If your birthday was on Saturday one year, it will be on Sunday the next year. However, with the addition of the Leap Day in Leap Years, the day of most people’s birthday “leaps” forward an extra day. Hence, the name. People born on Leap Day are called “Leaplings.”

Myths and Legends

Leap Day has some myths and legends associated with it. One legend says that in 5th Century Ireland, St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that women never got to propose marriage. So, St. Patrick allowed that on Leap Days, women could propose. (I have not confirmed this myth with research.) Apparently, in some countries, Leap Day has a negative connotation, much like Friday the 13th. In Greece, people think Leap Day is bad luck, and no one gets married on Leap Day.

Learn more about Leap Year in this post I wrote, or by visiting History.com or The National Air and Space Museum article on the Science of Leap Year.

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Tress by Sanderson offers an imaginative world and a strong female lead

Book Review graphic for Tress of the Emerald Sea by B Sanderson

If you love fantasy adventure with a touch of satire, a la The Princess Bride, then I’ve got a book for you- Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. My kids love Sanderson and his epic fantasy series, including The Stormlight Archives and Mistborn. I’ve tackled the first two Stormlight novels (1000+ pages each) and was ready to try Tress once I learned Sanderson modeled it after The Princess Bride.

Tress’s backstory intrigued me. Initially, Sanderson wrote it in secret for his wife. He says in the book’s postscript, “I wanted something that was just for me and for my wife. Something I could share with her, and not worry about deadlines or expectations. I just wanted to write, free of business constraints or fan expectations.”

Business constraints have been bothering Sanderson of late. He shared a little about it on the podcast he used to cohost, Writing Excuses. After years of publishing fantasy, Sanderson wanted to explore science fiction. But his traditional publishing house discouraged him from tackling a new genre, since every new genre requires new marketing and promotion campaigns, which increases costs for the publishers.

The highly successful Sanderson decided to try a different path. He launched his own publisher, Dragonsteel Entertainment, and in the spring of 2022, he dropped a video announcing an ambitious Kickstarter campaign. He offered readers access to four “secret novels” he wrote during the pandemic. The campaign offered several tiers of support for a range of products, from e books to hard copy novels to swag boxes with a different theme each month.

Sanderson launched the campaign looking for $1 million in funding. In 24 hours, he had $15.4 million. By the end of the campaign, the Kickstarter raised $41 million. Can we say, wow?! (Read more about the Kickstarter in USA Today.)

At our house, we went with a cheaper option: ebooks and swag. However, my oldest son- gainfully employed and an avid Sanderson fan- went “high tier” and got beautifully printed books, including Tress. The illustrations are gorgeous and foil imprints make the cover shine.

As an aspiring author, I have watched this phase of Sanderson’s career carefully. He offers some interesting ideas to authors frustrated by the selectivity and slow pace of traditional publishing. Inspired by his courage and creativity, I dove into Tress, really wanting to like it.

In the end, I gave it 3/5 stars.

Premise

Tress of the Emerald Sea takes place on a magical planet with very unusual geography. It’s so complicated, I think it’s easiest to explain with quotes from the book. Tress’s planet is surrounded by twelve moons that drop spores onto the land.

“The spores filled the world’s oceans, creating vast seas not of water, but of alien dust. Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here… The spores were only dangerous if you got them wet… The least bit of water would cause the spores to sprout explosively…”

The type of spore dictates the type of sprouting – green spores sprout huge vines, crimson spores sprout deadly sharp spines. There are six types of spores in all.

In this dangerous world, the heroine of the novel, Tress, disguises herself so she can board a ship, search the spore seas for her love, and rescue him. Tress of the Emerald Sea was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in Fantasy for 2023.

What I liked

Tress is smart, brave, and selfless. She uses her wits to take down bad guys, and she cares about the people she encounters on her adventures. In his author’s notes, Sanderson shares one thing his wife didn’t like about the movie The Princess Bride was the fact that Princess Buttercup doesn’t do anything. She’s a hapless victim, always depending on Westley to save her. Sanderson wanted to create a character who takes action. And in Tress, he did.

He also created an incredibly imaginative world that provides significant dangers and obstacles for his heroine. My kids love Sanderson for his world building, and he shows off his extensive imagination in Tress.

I also enjoyed one of the main themes of the book: the importance of personal growth and change. Tress evolves during her Hero’s Journey, and her character arc comes to a satisfying conclusion. However, I had to force myself to get to that conclusion.

What I didn’t like

Confession: fantasy and sci fi aren’t my favorites. Additionally, I find Sanderson’s work in these genres particularly overwhelming. There are many details to keep up with, so many that they distract me from the characters and plot. Perhaps because the dangers felt so foreign or unrealistic, they didn’t hold my attention.

Also, Sanderson uses a character named Hoid to narrate the story. Hoid, shifty and unreliable, pops in and out of many of Sanderson’s novels. He reminds me of Loki from the Marvel Universe. Through Hoid, Sanderson tries to give the narration a whimsical tone, but often, Hoid’s ramblings and direct addresses to the reader pulled me out of the story.

For example, in the quote above describing the spores, Hoid says,

“Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here, and you should not find that so unusual. How many other planets have you visited? Perhaps they all sail oceans of pollen and your home is the freakish one.”

As Hoid narrates, he injects bits of philosophy and wisdom which often felt too didactic or “on the nose.” For example,

Enjoy memories, yes, but don’t be a slave to who you wish you once had been. Those memories aren’t alive. You are.

I love it when novels get me to think about themes like memory and strength, but I don’t like it when they preach to me. Tress, or rather, Hoid, does that a lot.

Recommendation

If you love fantasy and sci fi, check out Tress of the Emerald Sea. If you like books with gorgeous illustrations, definitely read a hard copy of Tress, (although my e book version included the illustrations).

Have you read Sanderson? Do you enjoy his writing? Are you familiar with other authors exploring new approaches to publishing? If so, please share in the comments.

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Inspired to make kindness the norm

Be Kind starburst graphic

Nine children sat in padded office chairs three sizes too big for them. The kids were lined up against a wood paneled wall, swiveling side to side in the tall black seats, their feet, in most cases, barely able to touch the floor.  A few waved nervously to adults in the watching audience. One twirled a section of her glitter-streaked hair around her index finger.  Such a setup could only mean one thing.

The County Spelling Bee.

For those of you who have never participated in a bee, or if too many decades have passed since your last experience, imagine yourself sitting with a group of your peers before an attentive audience. You are less than 12 years old and do not have the decades of wisdom and experience you do now.  You squirm in your seat and contemplate the task before you. During the bee, you will have to walk up to a microphone, listen for a word, pray it’s one you know, repeat the word, and then spell it, without the benefit of paper, pencil or autocorrect. If you are “lucky,” you will get to repeat this process several times.

If that doesn’t sound daunting enough, consider the complication of the microphone, sure to squeal with feedback at unpredictable moments. You step up to speak into its bumpy bulb, and with every sound you utter, you experience shock at the voice that echoes in the speakers. One that is too high, nasal, or raspy to be your own. The worst part: you must use the dreaded microphone so the judges can clearly hear your answer.

Yes, judges. A word that steals the spit from your mouth and twists your stomach into a pretzel.

A spelling bee is a valuable, but stressful, experience. Like any demanding situation, it can bring out the worst in any one of us. Insecurity and defensiveness might pop up without warning. But that didn’t happen at the bee I observed last week. Yes, kids were obviously nervous, taking frequent sips out of the bottles of water they kept at their feet. Yes, they released exasperated sighs when they heard the judges say, “I’m sorry, that’s incorrect.” Yes, they swiveled the chairs impatiently as the last spellers went through the final rounds of the bee.

But they also encouraged each other, giving high fives to spellers who missed words, offering smiles of reassurance. When the bee was down to two final spellers, the two remaining competitors went back and forth several times, spelling increasingly difficult words. Words that garnered gasps from the audience. For several rounds, neither boy could complete the task required to win the bee: spell two words correctly in a row.

But in all this tension, the mood remained positive, mostly because of the actions of one of the remaining spellers, a fifth grader. Every time his opponent spelled a word correctly, he gave an exuberant thumbs up. He seemed genuinely happy to see his opponent succeed. When the bee finally ended, and that same fifth grader won by correctly spelling two words, one of which was bubonic, he marched right up to his opponent and gave him a fist bump. Then he went down the line of office chairs, giving all the other participants a fist bump too.

We adults know that life is hard, that the stress of a spelling bee is nothing compared to the strain of paying bills on a tight budget, negotiating difficult work circumstances, or managing care of a sick family member. But maybe we would all fare better if we spent more time offering fist bumps in the “competition” of adulthood. A spelling bee may seem small to us, but the actions of that fifth grader were huge.

From February 11-17, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week. Let’s take a cue from the kids and #MakeKindnessTheNorm.

Thanks for being kind with me!

Finding hope in dreary February and March

Graphic: find hope in the dark months

The day comes to its end, and as the sun drops behind the mountains, my energy plummets as well. Darkness mutes the colors in my family room, and a chill settles in the kitchen. I light a candle, then two more, and plug in the string of acorn Christmas lights I have not yet put away. With a deep breath, and an ache in my shoulders, I summon the energy to make dinner.

This is January.

I’ve packed up the holidays, and the thrill of a fresh start fades as the first month of the year comes to a close. I dread this season. While the days grow longer, they still offer barely ten hours of light. Faded yellow grass covers the pastures outside my house, and wind gusts from the west, rattling the windows. By 6 o’clock in the evening, I want to crawl in bed. The fatigue will linger tomorrow morning, even if I get a good night of rest.

The view from my front porch

Yet, I console myself with some bright thoughts.

First, I am not alone. I have friends who also struggle during the winter. In fact, there is a clinical name for the depression and fatigue that haunts many people in the winter months: Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short. According to the National Library of Medicine, SAD affects up to 10% of Americans every year, and more women than men. Notably, it’s more common in northern states than southern. There are treatments available, including light therapy, drug therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy.

SAD shouldn’t be confused with winter blues. Many people experience stress and mood swings around the holidays, and a dark, rainy day can dampen anyone’s mood. SAD is a clinical diagnosis, characterized by depression that lasts over several months and recurs over multiple years. You can read more about it in this article from the New York Times, What to Know about Seasonal Depression.

Even if you don’t have SAD, winter months can be hard. Here are some things I do to keep my spirits up and my perspective positive during these dark, cold months.

  • Embrace the light. Weeks ago, I packed up Christmas, except for a line of acorn lights that runs across my mantle and the string of twinkling snowflakes extending across the archway between my family room and kitchen. Those stay out past Valentine’s Day. I plug them in each night by six, when the world outside grows dark. On rainy days, they stay on all day. I also love candles and am hoping to add DIY candle making to my growing list of hobbies. (If you have any tips, please share in the comments!) I’ve thought about getting a therapy light, like the one described in the NYT article above, however, so far this season I’m doing well with staving off symptoms. Some of my tricks include:
  • Read happy, hopeful books. This is not the time for Beloved, The Road, or The Book Thief. (All books I started and abandoned in winter because they were too dark.) Currently, Ross Gay’s essay collection Inciting Joy sits on my nightstand, ready for when I need his unique phrasing and brilliant observations to cheer me up. (I heard Ross speak at the Virginia Festival of the Book last March, and he is even more delightful in person!)
  • Spend some time outside each day, no matter the weather. Even 15 minutes helps. My three year old shepherd mix demands it, and so does my spirit. I’ve had to learn this lesson over and over again, but it’s finally sticking. Fresh air, even in the form of a brisk wind, wakes me up, clears my head, and improves my outlook. I’m fortunate to have the resources to heed the adage, “There is no bad weather, just bad clothing.” I have several pairs of lined pants, and the right hat covering my head makes even below freezing temps bearable, for a few minutes at least. I know not all people have this luxury, which makes me grateful, which also improves my mood.
  • I practice yoga several times a week. This gets me grounded in my body and able to create space for positive thoughts within it. I’m getting better at using breath to control my mental state, and this is a powerful tool, available to me all the time, in all the months, whether or not the wind tries to curl under my front door. I enjoy videos on You Tube from Yoga with Adriene, Gayle Jann, and Yoga TX.
  • Rethink winter. My son wrote a poem about his garden during the winter, and we discussed its theme: Everything needs time to rest and restore. The brittle stalks of dead pepper plants stand in soil that is resting and preparing to support seeds the next season. All life needs time to renew, and that applies to us humans as well. I’m learning to think of winter days as a blessing. If I want to spend most nights on the sofa reading, with a puppy curled up on my lap, that’s okay. There’s plenty to read and my body can rest while I nurture my mind. When warm weather arrives, I will have energy and knowledge to apply to the work that needs doing.

Winter comes each year, bringing short days and dark evenings, But when I consider it as a time of rest, a time to ground myself and nurture my needs, it becomes more bearable. Yes, I can go to bed at 8:30 with a book. Maybe that’s just what I need to be my best self come June.

Do you struggle with the winter blues or SAD? How do you manage? Share your responses in the comments. And if fatigue and depression are hampering your ability to function, seek professional help. I did, and it gave me tools to face each February and March with hope.

And please share your tips for DIY candle making! 🙂

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

The Covenant of Water offers gorgeous prose & strong female leads

Book review graphic for The Covenant of Water

What would motivate me to tackle a 724 page novel? The recommendation of my mother-in-law, an avid reader with good taste. So, in the midst of holiday chaos, I started listening to the audio book of The Covenant of Water, written and narrated by Abraham Verghese. All 26 hours of it.

Finishing The Covenant of Water requires commitment, and now that I’m on the other side, I definitely think it could have been streamlined. But the writing is gorgeous, and the main characters intriguing, so I persevered to the end, and I’m glad I did.

Premise

The Covenant of Water covers over seventy years in the life of an Indian family living in Kerala, on India’s southwest coast. Starting in 1900 with a young girl leaving her home for an arranged marriage, the story covers three generations of interesting characters, a lot of them women. Covenant explores themes of faith, sacrifice, oppression, and family bonds. It also celebrates the practice of medicine and advances in the field during the 20th Century.

What I liked

Verghese writes gorgeous prose. The beauty of his words held me captive, even when the plot dragged a bit. Here’s a quote from the beginning of the book, when the matriarch (“Big Ammachi”) of the family considers the power of story as her granddaughter begs to learn more about her ancestors.

What the child clamors for is the story of their own family, of the widower’s house into which her grandmother married, a house full of mysteries. But such memories are woven from gossamer threads, time eats holes in the fabric, and these she [the grandmother and storyteller]must darn with myth and fable.

One of the main characters, Philipose, watches helpless as his best friend, a member of the pulayar, or servant caste, is rejected from the local school. The teacher says, “I’ll starve before I raise up children of the mud.” This scene follows:

At home, Philipose spills angry tears and tells his mother all. The world’s hypocrisy burns on his face. Big Ammachi holds her little boy and rocks him. She’s ashamed. The injustice he witnessed isn’t the Kaniyan’s [teacher’s] fault alone. Its roots are deep and so ancient that it feels like a law of nature, like rivers going to the sea. But the pain in those innocent eyes reminds her of what is so easy to forget. The caste system is an abomination. It is against everything in the Bible. Jesus chose poor fishermen and a tax collector as his disciples, and Paul said there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. They are far from being all one.

I also liked the strong female characters in the book. Big Ammachi, (I think this name means “Big Mother”) develops from a young, scared 12 year old given away in an arranged marriage into the respected matriarch of a blossoming family. I loved Big Ammachi’s frequent, casual discussions with God, and how she turned to her faith in times of distress. She is a model of sacrifice and love. Her granddaughter, her namesake, travels far from home to study medicine and uncover the secret to her family’s mysterious medical malady, a fear of water and a history of drowning. The two share a close relationship, and an uncompromising sense of bravery.

Finally, like all good historical fiction, The Covenant of Water helped me understand some of India’s history and culture. I had no idea Catholics lived in India, but yes, a population in South India still exists today, tracing their lineage back to St. Thomas, the apostle who doubted Jesus after his Resurrection. I also learned more about leprosy, a disease poorly understood and a reason for social oppression, along with the caste system.

The Covenant of Water made clear, despite our knowledge of history and our advances in science and philosophy, that we humans embrace prejudice and oppression far too easily, across space and time.

And I haven’t even touched on the doctor from Glasgow.

What I didn’t like

Although the writing is gorgeous, the book felt long. Verghese gives a lot of time and attention to characters and plot lines that don’t contribute significantly to the main story. I’ve seen his plot described as “ambitious,” and I agree. I think the book could have been stronger, and would hold attention better, if Verghese focused his immense talent and intellect on a narrower plot and a smaller cast of characters.

Recommendation:

I listened to the audio book of The Covenant of Water, narrated by Verghese. His Indian pronunciation brought depth and context to the story. It was a great way to experience what felt like an oral history. Verghese’s voice conjured up the presence of an old grandfather, revealing family secrets on a warm day on India’s southwest coast.

You can find interesting illustrations, a summary, and a character list for The Covenant of Water at Verghese’s website.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you should try The Covenant of Water. Just brace yourself for a long read.

Have you read The Covenant of Water? Who was your favorite character? What did you think of the length?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!