Book Review: Becoming Madam Secretary | Stephanie Dray

Stephanie Dray writes the most powerful historical fiction books (or perhaps they are better categorized as narrative non-fiction) about real women from history. Often the women she chooses are ones that history books haven’t propped up enough, which is certainly true of her latest novel, Becoming Madam Secretary, telling the story of Frances Perkins.

About the Book | Becoming Madam Secretary

She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it…

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic new novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Review | Becoming Madam Secretary

The amount of research that Stephanie Dray puts into her work would astound you. It’s for that reason that I think her books fit more of a “narrative non-fiction” genre than historical fiction. Dray relies as little as possible on fiction or creative license—she uses source material to piece together not only the professional lives of her subjects, but their personal lives as well. She uses their own dialogue when she can and notes what things she changed or added for effect. The outcome is truly remarkable! Reading her books are like reading particularly captivating biographies, particularly since they are written as though the events are unfolding.

I admit I have heard of Frances Perkins but knew very little about her life (I’m not saying the American education system ignored important, career-driven women in history, but…). I knew the highlights but none of the depth. Perkins was the first woman to be appointed to serve in a presidential cabinet, and she was our longest serving Secretary of Labor (1933-1945). At a time when women were often discouraged from having prominent careers and weren’t the most welcome in politics, Perkins stands out for her tenure, respect, accomplishments, and grit. We talk all the time about our Founding Fathers in America, but never about our Founding Mothers (of which I’d argue Perkins would be included).

The book opens in the summer of 1909 where a young, dimple-faced Frances Perkins is walking through sooty, seedy Hell’s Kitchen in New York. She has completed college and business school at Wharton. She’s now on a fellowship in economics much to the dismay of Miss Matthews of Hartley House, where she will be staying. Frances brings with her bright-eyed visions and deep experience working with those in poverty. It’s her passion and also a pain point as throughout the book she encounters people who don’t have respect, understanding, or empathy for those less fortunate than themselves.

Frances quickly endeared herself to me as we learn about her early years in Hells Kitchen doing work to survey malnourishment in children for her thesis. She repeatedly is reprimanded for offering free services for the poor, as well as giving them money. The book chronicles when Frances first met Franklin Delano Roosevelt and their working relationship that eventually leads him to appoint her as the state Labor Secretary of New York during his time as Governor, and late to name her to his presidential cabinet when he took office.

But the story doesn’t solely focus on Frances’s career progression and accomplishments, it also focuses on Frances the woman. The first half of the book describes her falling in love with Paul Wilson, their courtship and marriage, and their efforts to build a family. Frances suffered two miscarriages, the second which was a risk to her life as she delivered. She heard the devastating words “some women are not meant to be mothers” from her doctor. She considered leaving Paul not because of a lack of love, but because she loves him so much that she can’t take away the possibility of having a family. Paul refuses to accept this (this same theme is later echoed when Frances tells FDR she shouldn’t be named to his cabinet, and he writes back and refuses to go along with her request). After months apart, Paul returns and tells her he had an affair and is wrecked over it. He wanted to see how she’d react, if she could still love him. She can. Frances accepts Paul’s affair with logic and compassion in equal measure. And eventually, in a happy moment, she gives birth to their daughter Susanna around Christmastime.

The chapters chronicling this phase of her life were powerful and poetic. Frances and Paul were deeply in love—that is clear from their story and letters. They also deal with difficult hurdles life throws at so many couples—miscarriage, infidelity, mental health, manic-depression, psychiatric treatment. Paul goes on to have a breakdown and eventually be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic-depression. Frances does everything she can to keep him at home, but eventually must concede and pay for him to go to a treatment facility. Through it all, Frances made it her mission to make sure her husband and daughter were cared for at her own expense. Frances kept Paul’s disease from the public, but it cost her greatly. She was serving as both a mother and father figure for Susanna while also serving her country on the President’s cabinet.

Paul spent much of their marriage in the psychiatric institution, and later their daughter Susanna exhibited the same disease (though Frances notes that thankfully by then there were more treatment options). Frances loved her family fiercely and to the end, as well as her closest friendships. She says fortuitously early in her marriage:

“I should’ve realized that in love there are no safety precautions—there is nothing to do when you reach the edge but fall.”

Frances also had several close friendships chronicled in the book. There is Eleanor Roosevelt, of course. Though Frances often felt caught in the middle of their marriage, secretly siding with FDR many times. The book also details a beautiful friendship between Frances and Mary Rumsey, who was a social activist, government offical, philanthropist, and founder of the Junior League which brought together women of means to donate to and fundraise to help communities and those less fortunate. Later upon Mary’s death, early coverage reduced her to an “heiress” due to being the eldest daughter of a railway magnate. Frances staunchily defends the accomplishments of her friend. The women were plagued with rumors that their friendship was a romantic relationship, though Frances herself says she may have been happier with that, but she was loyal to Paul and her family until her death.

“The point of my taking this job wasn’t to make my daughter as miserable as the poorest children in the nation. My job was to try to make sure that the nation’s children had as many opportunities as mine did.”

I spoke so much about Frances Perkins as a person and a woman, but I would be remiss to not touch on her legacy for this country. She was always a staunch defender of those who were poor and unable to make their way. FDR is a mentor to her, and she goes on to mentor Charlie Wyzanski who worked for her in the department of labor. Frances was the driving force behind the Social Security Act and is credited with her inspiration and work to support the New Deal. Frances also credits some of her inspiration to Paul, who despite the disease that robbed him of much of his mental health in adulthood, was brilliant and inspired.

“I could never allow romantic love to obliterate my responsibility to love mankind.”

Frances Perkins is a name I don’t think history has remembered with the importance it should. I’m so grateful to have a chance to read an advance copy of Stephanie Dray’s book, and excited to know it is releasing into the world. I hope many read this and reflect on all Frances Perkins did for our country, as well the woman, wife, mother, friend, and leader she was. A well-written and gripping story of a woman who changed history.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

About the Author | Stephanie Dray

STEPHANIE DRAY is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into many languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. Now she lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.