I really hadn’t heard of Frances Perkins, Secretary Perkins, Madam Secretary, Fannie Perkins, or Mrs. Paul Wilson, as the first female cabinet secretary was called at various times in her life. And that’s a shame, because this woman shattered glass ceilings over and over during her lifetime.

Her family history dates from Revolutionary times. They were rebels and brickmakers where they lived along the Damariscotta River in Maine. Her parents were strictly religious, buttoned-up New Englanders, and while Frances fought for the rights of others for most of her life, she also inherited a religious nature. She believed that God had opened the door for her to do the work she did.

One thing she knew was that she wanted to get an education. She ended up with a master’s degree in economics and moved to Chicago to teach at a private girl’s school which is now Lake Forest Academy. Then she worked at the Hull House in Chicago. Moving back to New York, she studies child factory workers and the nutrition (or lack thereof) of those in poverty. That ignited her passion to help those who struggled to provide for their families: women who lost their husbands and couldn’t make enough money to support their children; older people who lacked family to support them and couldn’t find work; and those injured by the horrific conditions at factories who then couldn’t get medical treatment or jobs. One incident that stands out is when she was following a group of children from a candy factory, and one girl’s hand was cut off by a machine. The girl was sent home with no medical care, and her mother couldn’t afford to get her medical treatment.

Perkins fought for New York to pass a bill limiting work hours to “only” 54 hours a week. That’s nine hours a day, six days a week. And that was fought bitterly by factory owners who wanted workers to labor twelve hours a day. Men derided Perkins when she pointed out that many were forced to stand the whole time with no breaks or even chairs to sit on or lean against. Perkins witnessed the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire and the horror of women jumping from the high floors to their deaths to escape the fire. The doors had been locked by the owner, who fled the fire without unlocking them. This goaded Perkins to also fight for workplace safety. In court, the owner was not held responsible for the deaths of the women because he claimed he thought the doors were open.

Most famously, Perkins was responsible for the Social Security Act, but she was also responsible for the first New York law limiting the work week to 54 hours. She was responsible for ending child labor in this country. She diffused tensions when others wanted to call in the military to end strikes. She was responsible for making workplaces safer.

And even though the USA was hardly a banner for allowing in those fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Perkins made it possible for many to immigrate when the State Department didn’t want to allow Jewish people to come in. According to Dray, even Albert Einstein’s immigration application faced opposition by the State Department.

In the first person narrative we really come to know Perkins. She was an incredibly strong person, and she not only worked full time in important jobs, she managed to support her husband, who suffered from mental illness, and made sure that her daughter was cared for. Dray convincingly portrays the difficulty of being the first woman in this position and what Perkins did because she didn’t have a wife to do the entertaining.

This is historical fiction at its best. The narrative is compelling and gripping, but at the same time informative and fascinating. We come to admire Perkins while also seeing her mistakes. She endured much grief, but her stoic nature helped her through it all. I highly recommend this book and used it with my book club. It was one of the most fascinating discussions we’ve had, and the group’s enthusiasm for this book was unanimous. Many thanks to my sister for recommending it to me.

This review is based on the final, paperback book provided by Berkley, the publisher, for review purposes.