Coming up - March Is Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month – And I Have Some Reading Suggestions

March invites us to pause, look back, and honor the women whose courage, intellect, and persistence shaped the nation we live in. It’s a month for rediscovering stories that were too often pushed to the margins—and for celebrating the writers who bring those stories back into the light.

Three Books by Cokie Roberts Worth Your Time

If you’re looking for meaningful, accessible, and deeply human history to read this month, you can’t go wrong with Cokie Roberts. Her trilogy on American women is a gift: warm, meticulously researched, and filled with the kinds of stories that make you wonder why these names weren’t in your school textbooks.

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation

Roberts opens the American Revolution from a new angle—through the women who sustained households, managed businesses, ran farms, and shaped political thinking while the men drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These are stories of grit, sacrifice, and strategic brilliance. They remind us that independence was not only fought on battlefields but also in kitchens, parlors, and makeshift war rooms across the colonies.

Ladies of Liberty

Roberts continues the story into the early republic, spotlighting the women who helped steer a fragile new nation. Roberts shows how these women balanced public influence with private responsibility, often acting as political advisors, social diplomats, and cultural leaders in an era that pretended they had no role at all.

Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848–1868

By the time Roberts reaches the Civil War, the women of Washington, D.C. are no longer operating behind the scenes—they are shaping the political and social landscape in unmistakable ways. This book is a riveting portrait of independence, service, and political empowerment during one of the most turbulent periods in American history.

A New Voice for Women’s History: Norah O’Donnell

I just downloaded Norah O’Donnell’s new book, and it promises to be a powerful addition to the genre.

We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America

O’Donnell brings together portraits of American women—from 1776 to the present—whose courage and persistence helped bend the arc of the nation toward a more perfect union. It’s a sweeping, modern look at the unsung heroes who fought for freedom, expanded rights, and insisted that America live up to its ideals.

Why These Books Matter

Women’s History Month isn’t just about celebration—it’s about correction. It’s about restoring the missing chapters, acknowledging the invisible labor, and recognizing that the American story has always been a collaboration, even when only half the collaborators were credited. These books remind us that history is richer, more complex, and far more inspiring when we widen the lens.

And one more thing—because the science is too good not to mention: people who read live longer. Truly. Studies show that regular reading is linked to longer life expectancy, reduced stress, sharper cognition, and deeper empathy.

So, this March, pick up a book about the women who shaped America. You’ll honor their lives—and maybe even extend your own.