The Book: Becoming Madam Secretary (2024), by Stephanie Dray. 528 pages
Free event!
What if I have not finished reading this book, or have not read it at all?
That's okay! We hope you will come to this book club meeting, no matter how much of the book you have read. This book features many compelling themes and ideas that will be fascinating to discuss. Everybody who comes to this book club meeting will be able to participate and enjoy the discussion.
Becoming Madam Secretary is a historical novel. It is set during the early 1900s through the mid-20th century. The novel is about Frances Perkins, a real historical figure who was the first female U.S. cabinet secretary, serving as the Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945.
Fun Fact: Francis Perkins was raised as a Congregationalist, but joined the Episcopal Church as an adult, in 1905. She remained a devout Episcopalian whose faith deeply inspired her lifelong dedication to social and labor reform. In 2009, the Episcopal Church officially added her to its calendar of saints, commemorating her life as a public servant and prophetic witness with a feast day on May 13.
About the book: 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.
What to Bring? You do not need to bring anything. Simply read the book OR listen to the audio book. It can be useful if you bring your physical or digital copy of the book.
Who? This is a fun book club event that men and women from the neighborhood potluck list are invited to, along with everybody else who is interested.
Fun Book Club: This will be the 50th monthly meeting of this book club. We had so much fun at the all of the meetings so far, with wonderful, fascinating discussions with great neighbors and new friends. If you like books or interesting discussions... or simply want to have fun meeting new people, I highly recommend RSVP-ing for this event.
To RSVP, use your standard PotluckDinner.org RSVP buttons, or use the form at the top of this page, or email: rsvp@potluckdinner.org [or] text: 480-269-5823