About this item

"Kirstin Downey's lively, substantive and - dare I say - inspiring new biography of Perkins . . . not only illuminates Perkins' career but also deepens the known contradictions of Roosevelt's character." - Maureen Corrigan, NPR Fresh Air One of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's closest friends and the first female secretary of labor, Perkins capitalized on the president's political savvy and popularity to enact most of the Depression-era programs that are today considered essential parts of the country's social safety network. 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.



About the Author

Kirstin Downey

Kirstin Downey recently completed a biography of Queen Isabella of Castile, which is being published by Random House on October 28, 2014. She also serves as editor of FTC:WATCH, a newsletter that follows the Federal Trade Commission and the antitrust division of the Justice Department. She previously was employed as a writer and investigator for the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, whose report became a New York Times bestseller. She wrote the book's first chapter, which detailed the many warnings that were issued to business executives and government officials about the looming problems in the mortgage market, but which were ignored. Ms. Downey is also the author of "The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins," which was published in 2009, and was named one of the best biographies of the year by the American Library Association, Library of Congress and the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Ms. Downey was a reporter for The Washington Post from 1988 to 2008, winning press association awards for her business and economic reporting. She shared in the 2008 Pulitzer Prize awarded to the Post staff for its coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. In 2000, she was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.



Read Next Recommendation

Report incorrect product information.