Salida Book Review

Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America, by Karenna Gore Schiff. In this highly readable, illuminating narrative that spans the twentieth century, Karenna Gore Schiff tells the remarkable stories of nine influential women who each in her own way tackled inequity and advocated a change. These women recognized our country wasn't living up to its promise and fought to alter it. The women she's selected are as varied as they are inspirational. Ida B. wells-Barnett, who was born a slave and fought against lynching; Mother Jones, an Irish immigrant who organized coal miners and campaigned against child labor; Alice Hamilton, who pushed for regulation of industrial toxins; Frances Perkins, who established our social secruity program; Virginia Durr, a high society Southern belle who fought the poll tax and segregation; Septima Clark, who helped to register black voters; Dolores Huerta, who organized farm workers; Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, an activist for reproductive rights; and Gretchen Buchenholz, currently one of the nation's leading child advocates.

Karenna Gore Schiff delivers an intimate and accessible account of the nine trail-blazing women who deserve not only to be honored but to have their example serve as a guiding light for activists and leaders of tomorrow. Karenna Gore Schiff is the eldest daughter of Al and Tipper Gore. She is the director of community affairs for the Association to Benefit Children, a children's advocacy organization. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. This is her first book.