Happy 248th birthday, America! This week, the Book Whisperer celebrates the birth of our nation with two books for American history lovers: the nonfiction book Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised our Nation by Cokie Roberts and Amy Harmon’s historical fiction novel, A Girl Called Samson.
Cokie Roberts was an American journalist and writer and is known as one of National Public Radio’s (NPR) founding mothers. At a time when women were expected to be secretaries at a station and getting on the air was almost impossible, the new NPR gave women jobs in radio. Roberts was one of those women, and her voice became famous. She would go on to become a popular political analyst on television.
Roberts wrote six books before her death in 2019 and Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised our Nation is my favorite. In our classrooms, we spend most of our time exploring the way America was built by the “Founding Fathers.” Roberts researches primary sources to tell the stories of the work patriotic and passionate women did to forge a new nation. Without the sacrifices of women like Martha Washington and Lucy Knox, the new nation’s survival was slim.
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised our Nation is also a picture book with illustrations by Diane Goode for ages 4 to 6. Our littles will learn about the courageous women who helped build a nation.
One of the women featured in Founding Mothers is Deborah Samson.
Amy Harmon writes a historical fiction novel about her life in A Girl Called Samson. Who was she? Samson was an indentured servant who yearned for freedom. When the fighting began, she disguised herself as a male soldier and took up arms. Her bravery is admirable and her grit makes the reader want to be a better person. This is a romanticized version of Samson’s life, but Harmon did her research, and the reader will enjoy the backdrop of the American Revolution.
Look for these recommendations and other books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent book store each week.
Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to make you one, too. For more recommendations or just to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.
