Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation

Customer Rating:
Summary: Different slant on History of our nation
Comment: This book is not just about the women who supported the men leading up to our Declaration of Independence and the Revolution. It may be "fiction", but it is based on many first hand letters, and written history so that the reader learns (or,and) relearns some basic facts about our country's fight for freedom. It is a very readable book.

Customer Rating:
Summary: feminist revisionism?
Comment: An interesting, though not particularly deep, look at the female relations of the men who get written about in the history books. Unfortunately, although Roberts makes much of the historical context when discussing how the women broke out of the mold, she does not give the historical context much thought when it comes to the men, leading her to be a bit harsh on the men sometimes.

Perhaps a bit more problematic is that approximately the entire second half of the book is really the same story about the men that we already know, with just brief glimpses of the women. What are we supposed to take away from this? That there's only enough about the "Founding Mothers" to write half a book? Or that, in the end, as interesting as they were, it wasn't the women who made the history after all? Well, we probably already knew that. But this book does give a brief glimpse into the trials and tribulations of the women behind the men.

Customer Rating:
Summary: An Unfascinating Look at Fascinating Women
Comment: Well intended and with too-few doses of contemporary perspective, commentary & humor, author Cokie Roberts examines some of the most remarkable women of the colonial era. Unfortunately, in her attempt to paint them as more than merely First Ladies and "Mrs." Washington, Adams, Madison, et al, Roberts comes up with a narrative that is often as slow going as a book report. Thorough, meticulous research doesn't necessarily deliver a good read.

This important and underreported patriots deserve a livelier treatment than they get here. And Cokie Roberts could certainly have managed better. Maybe the fault lies with Editorial's fear that making them more fascinating would somehow diminish their gravitas.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Dry as toast
Comment: The title was all that attracted me to this book. It seemed poorly written and nobody in our book club enjoyed this book. The characters came and went and then reappeared (the book was in chronological order versus taking one character at a time) which made it confusing. It was a hard read. I actually got through another book club pick "Andersonville" by Kantor- almost 1000 pages with less trouble.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Founding Mothers
Comment: Although this book was listed by the vendor, it was out of stock so I never got it. My account was credited, but why list the book when it isn't available.?