2019 Sarton Women’s Book Award Nonfiction Category Shortlist

This compelling nonfiction work explores the life and legacy of Esther Hobart Morris, the first woman judge in the United States and a central figure in the early Woman Suffrage movement. Set against the backdrop of Wyoming Territory in the late 1800s, the book traces Esther’s remarkable journey from life in a rough mining town to national recognition as a leader in the fight for women’s rights.

Through years of careful research and the use of Esther’s own words from archived family correspondence, the author clarifies Esther’s true contributions while addressing and correcting long-standing myths surrounding her role in suffrage history. The result is a thoughtful, well-documented portrait of a complex woman whose courage helped crack the glass ceiling decades before the Nineteenth Amendment granted women nationwide the right to vote.

Format: Paperback
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Print Length: 288 pages
Award: 2019 Sarton Women’s Book Award Nonfiction Shortlist