Chasing Pages Book Club: "The Woman Behind the New Deal"
 
An Afternoon Book Club with Coffee, Tea & Snacks!
June's selection is "The Woman Behind the New Deal: the life of Francis Perkins" by Kirstin Downey.
Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. Based on eight years of research, extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to Perkins’s family members and friends, this biography is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.Frances Perkins was named Secretary of Labor by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. As the first female cabinet secretary, she spearheaded the fight to improve the lives of America’s working people while juggling her own complex family responsibilities. Perkins’s ideas became the cornerstones of the most important social welfare and legislation in the nation’s history, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, and the forty-hour work week. Arriving in Washington at the height of the Great Depression, Perkins pushed for massive public works projects that created millions of jobs for unemployed workers. She breathed life back into the nation’s labor movement, boosting living standards across the country. As head of the Immigration Service, she fought to bring European refugees to safety in the United States. Her greatest triumph was creating Social Security. Written with a wit that echoes Frances Perkins’s own, award-winning journalist Kirstin Downey gives us a riveting exploration of how and why Perkins slipped into historical oblivion, and restores Perkins to her proper place in history.
Book Club copies are available at the Cherrydale service desk.
Meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Newcomers always welcome.
Next month's selection is "The Sweetness at the bottom of the pie" by Alan Bradley.
For more information, contact Ruth at 703-228-6330.
- Date:
- Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Show more dates
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
- Time:
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm
- Location:
- Loft
- Library:
- Cherrydale Library
- Audience:
- Events for Adults Good for Adults Age 55+
- Categories:
- Book Club
- Calendar:
- zz Cherrydale
- Location campus Cherrydale Library
- Audience:
- Categories:
About Our Events
Arlington County provides accommodations to individuals with disabilities upon request. Please contact us at least five (5) business days in advance.
- Phone: 703-228-5993
- Email: Jberg@arlingtonva.us