Why read The Woman Behind the New Deal?

Book cover of The Woman Behind the New Deal

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“Kirstin Downey’s lively, substantive and—dare I say—inspiring new biography of Perkins . . . not only illuminates Perkins’ career but also deepens the known contradictions of Roosevelt’s character.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR Fresh Air

One of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s closest friends and the first female secretary of labor, Perkins capitalized…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Woman Behind the New Deal as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

David Emblidge

Author

We take Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and the Minimum Wage for granted; we also take for granted the presence of women in cabinet positions and as heads of regulatory agencies (especially since the Obama and Biden administrations). But in the 1930s, when The Depression began (and lasted for nearly a decade), none of this was present or common. A whole raft of ideas we call “The New Deal” and ascribe, rightly, to FDR’s astute leadership had, in fact, a moving force behind them, and that force was Frances Perkins, a workers’ rights advocate who served as US Secretary of Labor,…

From David's list on The best books on Eleanor Roosevelt, her times, and her column “My Day”.