Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation

“This collection succeeds in emphasizing that many unsung women left their mark well before the suffrage movement.” —Publishers Weekly

Fans of #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts, who was also a celebrated journalist for ABC and NPR, will love this stunning nonfiction picture book, as will parents and educators looking for a more in-depth book beyond the Rosie Revere and Rad Women series.

Highlighting the female explorers, educators, writers, and political and social activists that shaped our nation’s early history, this is the stunning follow-up to the acclaimed children’s book Founding Mothers.

Beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Honor–winning artist Diane Goode, Ladies of Liberty pays homage to a diverse selection of ten remarkable women who have shaped the United States, covering the period 1776 to 1824.

Drawing on personal correspondence and private journals, Cokie Roberts brings to life the extraordinary accomplishments of these women who created the framework for our current society, a generation of reformers and visionaries.

Roberts features a cast of courageous heroines that includes African American poet Lucy Terry Prince, Native American explorer Sacagawea, first lady Louisa Catherine Adams, Judith Sargent Murray, Isabella Graham, Martha Jefferson Randolph, Elizabeth Bayley Seton, Louise D’Avezac Livingston, Rebecca Gratz, and Elizabeth Kortright Monroe.

This compelling book offers a rich timeline, biographies, and an author note, bringing these dynamic ladies to life.

Praise for Founding Mothers: “Goode’s illustrations are often breathtaking. Roberts’ lively text is illuminated with flourishes and curlicues along with winsome or whimsical portraits in what looks like ink and watercolor. It is a wonderful package, adding the women who made it work to the men we thought we all knew.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This collection succeeds in emphasizing that many unsung women, “toiling to make America a more perfect place for all of its people,” left their mark well before the suffrage movement.” - Publishers Weekly

“For libraries where Roberts’s other books have been popular, this follow-up offers comparable fare.” - School Library Journal