from author’s website
STEPHANIE DRAY is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into many languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. Now she lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.
Dear Reader,
I’ve been a storyteller since I was a kid, and I find that every book I write somehow has its roots in my family’s immigrant history. They were survivors who built a new life in America while escaping poverty and persecution in Europe. They found opportunity here, but struggled, too. They told stories of foraging mushrooms and hunting frogs during the Great Depression and the frugality my grandparents developed during those dark days stuck around.
When I was a kid, my grandmother was always on the hunt for a bargain at garage sales. As the oldest grandchild, I found myself in the backseat of her lime green Ford Fairlane, with the mission of entertaining my younger cousins during these expeditions. It was there that I honed my storytelling skills, weaving tales like Scheherazade to keep the backseat peace.
I wasn’t just a teller of tales; I was an eager listener, too. I was always asking my grandfathers–both of whom enlisted right after Pearl Harbor–to tell me their stories. They always talked about how grateful they were for the opportunities that even a flawed America afforded them. They taught me about the values that this country was built on and, still shaken by WWII, they instilled in me a respect for how fragile any democracy is.
They kindled my fascination with revolutions and republics, with ordinary people rising to extraordinary circumstances. They’re themes that I return to, again and again, whether the tale is set in the ancient world, the Revolutionary Era or the 20th century.
But my focus isn’t only on grand narratives. I aim to highlight untold stories, particularly those of women, because I believe that writing and reading historical fiction is essentially an act of empathy – something we need more of in today’s world.
So I’m passionate about bringing these stories to life and I invite you to embark on this journey with me, as we traverse the rich tapestry of history together. It’s a joy to share these narratives with you, and I can’t wait to see where our exploration takes us. Thank you for being a part of the adventure.
ABOUT BECOMING MADAM SECRETARY:
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and richly dramatic novel about Frances Perkins, one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century, and an unsung heroine whose legacy is woven into the fabric of every American life.
Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.
But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.
Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.
Available for purchase here.
PRAISE AND RECOGNITION FOR BECOMING MADAM SECRETARY:
“Becoming Madam Secretary is a proud anthem to a forgotten founding mother. Frances Perkins starts out a bright young thing with an economics degree and an iron determination to make the world a better place, and ends up a shining star: first woman appointed to a presidential cabinet, architect of the New Deal, mother of Social Security, and FDR’s much-relied-upon work wife throughout his entire presidency. Stephanie Dray’s love and respect for this American heroine shines from every page, as does her impeccable research. Unputdownable!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye
“Stephanie Dray is one of my absolute favorite authors of historical fiction, and her new novel Becoming Madam Secretary shows why. In the novel, Dray tells the story of the indomitable Frances Perkins….Dray‘s unique skill is telling the big picture of Frances’s life, while at the same time making her a completely relatable wife in a difficult marriage and a working mother when that phrase was unheard of. I couldn’t stop turning the pages in this novel, which is both an inspiration and a triumph!”—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Loyalty
“What a compelling, important story about a trailblazing woman! In Becoming Madam Secretary, Stephanie Dray takes readers on an enthralling journey as Frances Perkins rises to become the country’s most important cabinet member during a crossroads in American history, one with lasting ramifications. Hers is a name we should all know, and this is a novel we should all read.”—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The First Ladies
“A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of America’s most courageous trailblazers for women. Thank you, Stephanie Dray for shedding light on the indomitable Frances Perkins!”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Doves
“An inspiring tribute to an audacious, brilliant woman who fought ferociously against the mistreatment of the poor and working class in the last century and in doing so transformed American democracy. Dray’s three-dimensional portrayal of Perkins’s life and times is both astonishing and infuriating in the best of ways, a gripping tale of a woman who refused to back down. Powerful and timely.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Spectacular
“In her latest novel, Stephanie Dray brings the trailblazing and towering figure of Frances Perkins to life, delivering a read that includes more than half a century of stunning American history and a colorful cast of larger-than-life historical characters. With the tenderly poignant writing and impeccable research that her readers have come to expect and love, Dray has delivered a fresh and sweeping work of biographical fiction that readers will surely devour. This is an inspiring, illuminating and important book by Dray — I was blown away. Thank goodness Frances Perkins lived when she did; and thank goodness she said ‘yes’ to FDR’s challenge of Becoming Madam Secretary.” —Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
“A page-turning tribute to a woman who refused to give up, a woman who inspires us even now, and a woman who saved a nation. In FDR’s presidential cabinet, Frances Perkins wasn’t immune to the problems of her time while she struggled with family, marriage, and motherhood. Her perseverance changed our nation. Stephanie Dray brings Frances Perkins, and everyone around her, so alive you feel she will walk off the page. With an indomitable heroine for our times, Becoming Madam Secretary is destined to be a classic of historical fiction.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times Bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
“There is no finer writer of women in American history than Stephanie Dray. In Becoming Madam Secretary, her prose is so vivid that the modern world completely fades away and for a time, you feel you are actually standing with Frances Perkins, battling your way alongside FDR through the Great Depression. This is a novel for every viewer who watched The West Wing and wished it had once been a book. Simply outstanding.”—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Rebel Queen
“Dray delivers an insightful fictional biography of Frances Perkins….historical fiction fans won’t want to miss this.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is historical fiction at its finest.”—The Montecito Journal
AUTHOR VISITS:
Author visits with Stephanie Dray are available via NovelNetwork.com.