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We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union
“This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women have played at every stage of our country’s history.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin
Over a decades-long, distinguished career, award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell has made it her mission to shed light on untold women’s stories. Now, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, O’Donnell focuses that passion on the American heroines who helped change the course of history.
We the Women presents a fresh look at American history through the eyes of women, introducing us to inspiring patriots who demanded that the country live up to the promises made 250 years ago in the Declaration of “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Since the signing of that document, the pressing question from women has Why don’t those unalienable rights apply to us?
Through extensive research and interviews, as well as historical documents and old photos, O’Donnell curates a compelling portrait of these fierce fighters for freedom. From Mary Katherine Goddard, who printed the first signed Declaration of Independence, to the Forten family women, who were active in the abolition and suffrage movements and were considered the “Black Founders” of Philadelphia, to the first women who served in the armed forces even before they had the right to vote, O’Donnell brings these extraordinary women together for the first time, and in doing so writes the American story anew.
“This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women have played at every stage of our country’s history.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin
Over a decades-long, distinguished career, award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell has made it her mission to shed light on untold women’s stories. Now, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, O’Donnell focuses that passion on the American heroines who helped change the course of history.
We the Women presents a fresh look at American history through the eyes of women, introducing us to inspiring patriots who demanded that the country live up to the promises made 250 years ago in the Declaration of “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Since the signing of that document, the pressing question from women has Why don’t those unalienable rights apply to us?
Through extensive research and interviews, as well as historical documents and old photos, O’Donnell curates a compelling portrait of these fierce fighters for freedom. From Mary Katherine Goddard, who printed the first signed Declaration of Independence, to the Forten family women, who were active in the abolition and suffrage movements and were considered the “Black Founders” of Philadelphia, to the first women who served in the armed forces even before they had the right to vote, O’Donnell brings these extraordinary women together for the first time, and in doing so writes the American story anew.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
January 26, 2026
I read to 47% and just could not get myself to finish the rest!
I was hoping that each of these women’s stories would be told in a more story like fashion, but they read almost completely as factual, dictionary, excerpts of a lot of dates and information about their lives, but they did not feel emotionally compelling at all.
While I enjoyed getting to hear about little known women throughout the history of the United States, who had a massive impact on its development, I didn’t feel like their stories were told in an emotionally compelling way I felt like I was mostly given the facts and the details of what they did and when and I wanted this to be a more evocative emotional experience.
But maybe my expectations were off in starting this book because I don’t typically read history. However, even the biographies & memoirs I have read had a much more story like and emotional connection than this one did. I felt like I was reading out of a history textbook and I just got bored very easily with that
I would still recommend to my audience based on just the powerful little known stories that were being pulled to the light to give empowerment to women’s strong role in our nations history, but since I did not love this myself, and it’s not really the type of book format that I enjoyed I’m giving it three stars..
I was hoping that each of these women’s stories would be told in a more story like fashion, but they read almost completely as factual, dictionary, excerpts of a lot of dates and information about their lives, but they did not feel emotionally compelling at all.
While I enjoyed getting to hear about little known women throughout the history of the United States, who had a massive impact on its development, I didn’t feel like their stories were told in an emotionally compelling way I felt like I was mostly given the facts and the details of what they did and when and I wanted this to be a more evocative emotional experience.
But maybe my expectations were off in starting this book because I don’t typically read history. However, even the biographies & memoirs I have read had a much more story like and emotional connection than this one did. I felt like I was reading out of a history textbook and I just got bored very easily with that
I would still recommend to my audience based on just the powerful little known stories that were being pulled to the light to give empowerment to women’s strong role in our nations history, but since I did not love this myself, and it’s not really the type of book format that I enjoyed I’m giving it three stars..
February 27, 2026
In the introduction the author says she does not focus on the most well known women in American history like Abigail Adams because, well, they're already pretty well known. She focuses on the women that she never heard of, or knew little about. As a seasoned news correspondent she presumes that we haven't heard of them either, or know little about them if we have. That's pretty much true.
The glaring exception is Eleanor Roosevelt. Because nobody who focuses on women in American history can resist writing about her, right?
The book is structured chronologically by roughly 50-year time periods, with each period offering sketches of a few pages per woman. This means we get a summary of each life, not much in depth detail. But this is made up for by the copious numbers of women she gets into this book.
The sketches read as a little breezy, with the author inserting bits of exclamatory commentary at different points in italics. Like this!
This conversational style, and the brevity of each sketch, would make this an excellent book to give to a teenager or young woman to provide a quick survey of the different periods of the development of women's rights in America. Roughly speaking, we move from the Revolutionary period, to the mid-19th century and Seneca Falls Convention, to the Suffragists in the late 19th and early 20th century, to Second Wave Feminism in the mid-20th century. There's also a final section on more contemporary women that covers the author's lifetime.
The glaring exception is Eleanor Roosevelt. Because nobody who focuses on women in American history can resist writing about her, right?
The book is structured chronologically by roughly 50-year time periods, with each period offering sketches of a few pages per woman. This means we get a summary of each life, not much in depth detail. But this is made up for by the copious numbers of women she gets into this book.
The sketches read as a little breezy, with the author inserting bits of exclamatory commentary at different points in italics. Like this!
This conversational style, and the brevity of each sketch, would make this an excellent book to give to a teenager or young woman to provide a quick survey of the different periods of the development of women's rights in America. Roughly speaking, we move from the Revolutionary period, to the mid-19th century and Seneca Falls Convention, to the Suffragists in the late 19th and early 20th century, to Second Wave Feminism in the mid-20th century. There's also a final section on more contemporary women that covers the author's lifetime.
April 21, 2026
One of the impressive things is the research the author had to put into each person featured in the book. Norah came up with some great quotes for all the women she featured in her book. One of her stories was about Kitty Wright, who was so instrumental in helping the Wright Brothers get their company off the ground. One person commented, "There would have been no Kitty Hawk without Kitty Wright," and the author goes on to explain how Kitty Wright handled much of the company's administration and marketing, while her brothers handled the development and engineering of the Wright Flyer.
March 10, 2026
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
So those who know me well will ask,
“why did you pick a book that is
a. Non-Fiction
b. over 900 pages
c. so far from your favorite genre?”
Answer: Because I needed to satisfy the last reading challenge requirement in the winter series and no other book caught my interest.
This book by Norah O’ Donnell highlighted all the women that have helped shape our country in the last 250 years. Many of the women at the beginning of the book I had never heard of but their contribution was incredible. I learned a lot and even took notes (in case I needed some answers while playing Jeopardy)! At the halfway mark I recognized many more and found out more about their accomplishments. They all were very brave and would not give up. I found myself caring so much more about the issues they fought so hard for. However, I got a bit tired. Towards the end I hurried through because I wanted to move to another book. There was so much information that I wasn’t retaining the names and stories. But I am proud of myself that I committed to a challenging read. I am giving this 3 stars but I think anyone who loves history and 250 years of incredible women, and a long attention span, would give it 5 stars!
So those who know me well will ask,
“why did you pick a book that is
a. Non-Fiction
b. over 900 pages
c. so far from your favorite genre?”
Answer: Because I needed to satisfy the last reading challenge requirement in the winter series and no other book caught my interest.
This book by Norah O’ Donnell highlighted all the women that have helped shape our country in the last 250 years. Many of the women at the beginning of the book I had never heard of but their contribution was incredible. I learned a lot and even took notes (in case I needed some answers while playing Jeopardy)! At the halfway mark I recognized many more and found out more about their accomplishments. They all were very brave and would not give up. I found myself caring so much more about the issues they fought so hard for. However, I got a bit tired. Towards the end I hurried through because I wanted to move to another book. There was so much information that I wasn’t retaining the names and stories. But I am proud of myself that I committed to a challenging read. I am giving this 3 stars but I think anyone who loves history and 250 years of incredible women, and a long attention span, would give it 5 stars!
April 7, 2026
Emmy Award-winning journalist O’Donnell, assisted by Brower, pays homage to scores of women who played a decisive role in the nation’s history. In 35 chapters, she focuses on five periods: 1776-1826, America’s first 50 years; 1826-76, encompassing the Seneca Falls Convention and the Civil War; 1876-1926, the Gilded Age and Progressivism; 1926-76, marked by war and social unrest; and 1976 to the present.
An inspiring contribution to the 250th celebration of the nation’s founding.
An inspiring contribution to the 250th celebration of the nation’s founding.
Read
March 29, 2026I love women’s history and I love Norah O’Donnell. I learned dozens of new names of women who shaped American history and it made me so proud to be a woman but also deeply heartbroken knowing what every woman before me had to go through. I appreciated that this book didn’t just focus on the typical suspects of women’s history like Eleanor Roosevelt or Elizabeth Cady Stanton but instead I got to learn about architects like Emily Warren Roebling, medical pioneers like the Blackwell sisters, as well as athletes, warriors, judges, businesswomen… I had no idea that the Wright brothers had a sister who was basically their PR manager through their early expeditions but of course a woman had to organize all of their exhibitions and press for their experiments to be a success!
So good as an audiobook too
So good as an audiobook too
May 22, 2026
Sometimes I strayed from reading this book. Every woman was interesting, brave, a trendsetter. There was much written about suffragettes. The right for women to be able to vote is very important, but I felt it was over presented. However, I was glad to see women heroes of every color and culture represented here. Well done, Nora O’Donnell and staff!
May 9, 2026
I learned so much—good journalism about influential women.
May 13, 2026
The writing was so flat that none of the women came to life. To make the experience of reading this book worse, it's filled with banal asides by the author (in italics and followed by exclamation points) that add nothing. Finally, why was a bio of Eleanor Roosevelt the longest in a book subtitled "hidden heroes"?
April 4, 2026
We the Women by Norah O’Donnell was such an inspiring, amazing, and fascinating book to close out Women’s History Month. I listened to the audiobook through Spotify Premium, but I loved every second of this book so much that I found a signed copy of We the Women online through an indie bookseller to have on my shelf and refer back to when needed!
There were two things I really loved about this book. The first is that Norah O’Donnell not only chose trailblazing women that most of us have never heard of (or some like Eleanor Roosevelt that we’ve heard of but may not know all the details of her life and contributions to American society), but she chose women from all different racial backgrounds. I thought this was great because women might see themselves in some of these biographical stories. The second thing I loved about this book is the progression starting at the Revolutionary War era to modern day.
I wish I were back in college taking women’s studies courses because I know for a fact this would be one of the class required readings. I think every person, man or woman, should pick this book up. Women contributed a lot more than people might initially think. These stories should be known to everyone!
There were two things I really loved about this book. The first is that Norah O’Donnell not only chose trailblazing women that most of us have never heard of (or some like Eleanor Roosevelt that we’ve heard of but may not know all the details of her life and contributions to American society), but she chose women from all different racial backgrounds. I thought this was great because women might see themselves in some of these biographical stories. The second thing I loved about this book is the progression starting at the Revolutionary War era to modern day.
I wish I were back in college taking women’s studies courses because I know for a fact this would be one of the class required readings. I think every person, man or woman, should pick this book up. Women contributed a lot more than people might initially think. These stories should be known to everyone!
March 3, 2026
We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America
By: Norah O'Donnell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre/tags: History, women time forgot
What I liked:
This non-fiction read like fiction. I listened to it on audio while doing yard work.
Good to know before picking this up:
While there were some new women introduced in this, there were a fair amount I was familiar with because I read a historical fiction of their lives.
By: Norah O'Donnell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre/tags: History, women time forgot
What I liked:
This non-fiction read like fiction. I listened to it on audio while doing yard work.
Good to know before picking this up:
While there were some new women introduced in this, there were a fair amount I was familiar with because I read a historical fiction of their lives.
Read
May 20, 2026I don’t generally rate non-fiction / biographies so I won’t rate this one. But I will say that this should be required reading in every high school / college in America. After reading, I bought a hardcover copy to keep in my library as I am notorious for not retaining historical facts. The number of women whose names we don’t know (or vaguely know but can’t connect to their accomplishments) is astounding. These are short micro-bios and will help me build a list of full length bios I should read. Women from all walks of life who worked tirelessly to be sure women not only had equal rights under the law, but the barriers to their ability to contribute to society were removed. While it has become common refrain in the last several years, it is still worth naming - when I was born, my mother could not have obtained her own credit card or mortgage without her husband as a co-signer and she could have been / was terminated from her teaching job when she became pregnant with me. To today where I am able to have my position without much fanfare - women in high level leadership has been normalized, but still glass ceilings and barriers to full equality persist. While much work still remains, these women changed the world by way of the 19th amendment, FMLA, Title IX and many others which led to women in the Olympics, women in Congress, women as entrepreneurs. Women with these skills existed long before they were allowed to participate fully - structural barriers limited their contributions to the world. Research now shows that female led surgical teams have better patient outcomes. Women have been proven again and again to have a different lens on the world which allows for a different way of seeing everything from data to computations to medicine to law. Many other groups, along with women, still face structural and societal barriers to full equal protection and contribution and we must continue to fight to ensure society can benefit from everyone’s contributions.
April 26, 2026
I was so excited throughout this book and loved the variety of women whose stories were shared. That being said, the ending sent me into a blind rage. The mention of Amy Coney Barrett, glossing over her key part in the overturning of Roe v. Wade (literally mentioned in one brief sentence) and instead painting her as a great achievement since she is among 4 current supreme court justices, and then the coverage of Taylor Swift and Greta Gerwig's Barbie Movie without discussing their harmful and beyond mediocre white feminism as if these are monumental achievements made me rage. The author covered historical women with attention to their harmful beliefs (minus any mention of Margaret Sanger's racism) so we know it is possible for her to study and bring to light women's achievements as well as their harms, so why shy away when it comes to these three very middling women (their greatest achievement seems to be their relation to wealth, which is more to do with the circumstance of their birth and thus their ability to weaponize this relationship to wealth and accumulate more is hardly an accomplishment, if anything it is a disgrace). The end seemed to me a parade of white feminism as if this is the crowning jewel, and undermined the message of the book until this point.
March 28, 2026
Reading this book right now felt that much more meaningful. Learning about the ways in which the women featured here fought for their rights, fought for equal opportunities, it was a strong reminder of how much they did to pave the way for women today, and how much we cannot take what they won for us for granted. I enjoyed reading these short vignettes about the lives of so many women across the history of the United States, with just enough information given to inspire you with what they achieved. I also so greatly appreciated how O’Donnell and Brower do not shy away from showing all aspects of these women—reminding readers that white suffragettes often excluded women of color, or that Margaret Sanger was linked with eugenics, or that Grimké sisters maintained ties with enslavers. They do not try to make these women into mythological heroes or put them on a pedestal, but instead show them for what they were: human and flawed. And by seeing this, the reader can feel empowered, knowing that they too can be trailblazers for the next generations because they are just as human and flawed.
April 28, 2026
There is no reason for you to read this book. The book exists because someone saw an opportunity to make money publishing a book, releasing it days before Women’s History Month during America’s 250th birthday. It is a con job, rushed to capitalize on a ready-made audience.
Perhaps if you like the idea of reading history, but without any research or editing, then this book is for you. Do you want your nonfiction to have more exclamation points, a thin veneer of pink washing Girl Power, and a quote from the monologue in the Barbie movie? Here you go. Maybe you won’t find Norah O’Donnell’s editorial asides to be disorienting. Maybe the smugness of her application of today’s standards to societies of the past will feel necessary to you. Maybe you won’t be bothered trying to figure out if these are her or her ghost writer. You’re not me. I know I found this tedious, but you may be different.
The biggest problem is that the research is simple and lazy and there are errors throughout the text. I know at one point the errors were piling up, and I thought “There’s no way this is true.” Pulling up the source material on the Blackwell sister’s medical college, and no, the students did not transition to Weill Cornell Medical in 1899, a full 34 years before Sandy Weill was born. And the source does not say they did… someone overlooked that the source included a “now known” caveat. And she screws up the “now known” thing later when writing about Bethune-Cookman. It speaks to a rush job without adequate fact checking and editing. Because so much of this book is based on online sources, including lesson plans for children, it’s very simple to fact check as you go along and realize that a lot of things aren’t *quite* what the sources say. This should have happened before publication.
Skip it, and definitely do not gift this to Mom on Mother’s Day if she’s a big history buff.
Perhaps if you like the idea of reading history, but without any research or editing, then this book is for you. Do you want your nonfiction to have more exclamation points, a thin veneer of pink washing Girl Power, and a quote from the monologue in the Barbie movie? Here you go. Maybe you won’t find Norah O’Donnell’s editorial asides to be disorienting. Maybe the smugness of her application of today’s standards to societies of the past will feel necessary to you. Maybe you won’t be bothered trying to figure out if these are her or her ghost writer. You’re not me. I know I found this tedious, but you may be different.
The biggest problem is that the research is simple and lazy and there are errors throughout the text. I know at one point the errors were piling up, and I thought “There’s no way this is true.” Pulling up the source material on the Blackwell sister’s medical college, and no, the students did not transition to Weill Cornell Medical in 1899, a full 34 years before Sandy Weill was born. And the source does not say they did… someone overlooked that the source included a “now known” caveat. And she screws up the “now known” thing later when writing about Bethune-Cookman. It speaks to a rush job without adequate fact checking and editing. Because so much of this book is based on online sources, including lesson plans for children, it’s very simple to fact check as you go along and realize that a lot of things aren’t *quite* what the sources say. This should have happened before publication.
Skip it, and definitely do not gift this to Mom on Mother’s Day if she’s a big history buff.
May 11, 2026
4.5 rounded up. This book was an enormous undertaking that took 3 years to research, write and edit. Critically, I think some of the chapters felt thin or rushed (probably to reach a very important deadline), and yet, I appreciate that Norah O’Donnell and her collaborators on this project limited themselves to 325 pages, thereby making this approachable to a mass audience without the intimidation factor. I REALLY like the way the book is divided into section of 5 decades (I.e. 1776-1826, 1826-1876, 1876-1926, etc) because there’s a common theme and distinct progress made within each 50-year era.
I enjoyed reading one to two chapters each day with my morning coffee. A must-read for every American as we approach the country’s 250 year anniversary, but especially for girls and women.
I enjoyed reading one to two chapters each day with my morning coffee. A must-read for every American as we approach the country’s 250 year anniversary, but especially for girls and women.
April 25, 2026
Attention, all American women: READ THIS BOOK NOW!!! 🚺📖
I’ve always been a big fan of Norah O’Donnell. I didn’t know about this book until I saw it at Half Price Books last month, and thankfully, the wait for the audiobook wasn’t as long as I’d anticipated! 🙌🏻 Women have been getting overlooked by history for too long, so much so that I’d never even heard of half the ones in this book. Yet they all contributed something important to the way we function as a society today. History can’t be rewritten, but it’s due for a second look. Men and women should both read this book, for that matter. It’s history, not politics, so it doesn’t matter what party you align with. People of all sides can stand to learn a thing or two about the little secrets of our country.
I’ve always been a big fan of Norah O’Donnell. I didn’t know about this book until I saw it at Half Price Books last month, and thankfully, the wait for the audiobook wasn’t as long as I’d anticipated! 🙌🏻 Women have been getting overlooked by history for too long, so much so that I’d never even heard of half the ones in this book. Yet they all contributed something important to the way we function as a society today. History can’t be rewritten, but it’s due for a second look. Men and women should both read this book, for that matter. It’s history, not politics, so it doesn’t matter what party you align with. People of all sides can stand to learn a thing or two about the little secrets of our country.
March 29, 2026
One of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read! If not the best! Spanning from the American Revolution to present day, Norah O’Donnell (who you MUST listen to on audiobook - you won’t regret it,) shares about women who shaped America’s success. These women did not work for recognition, but because they love their country. Some of my favorite stories were about the Hello Girls of World War II and Frances Perkins. I was also planning to trudge through the chapter on Eleanor Roosevelt, but it actually made me want to learn more about her!
April 14, 2026
We stand on the shoulders of every woman who has come before!! I'm ever so grateful and proud of my heritage, to identify as a feminist, and I endeavor to carry on the fight. Every woman should read. And every man would benefit from reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and honestly don't understand those who gave poor ratings (especially women!). This book has inspired me to search out more in depth books on the many inspirational, and often lesser known/lauded, women featured in Nora's book. Well done!
May 1, 2026
Women are amazing and im glad I was able to learn about the forgotten names in this book. I was googling them and putting a face to the name as they came up. We cannot change how they were treated when all of them were changing and adding to history but we can listen to their story and make sure that we correct the narratives going forward.
May 7, 2026
Five stars! 🌟
Each chapter is about a different woman in U.S. history. Some stories brought me to tears. The suffragists, the civil right activists, etc.
These are some incredible women who went through so much to open doors for the generation after them.
This was an excellent audio book, narrated by Norah O’Donnell, the author.
Each chapter is about a different woman in U.S. history. Some stories brought me to tears. The suffragists, the civil right activists, etc.
These are some incredible women who went through so much to open doors for the generation after them.
This was an excellent audio book, narrated by Norah O’Donnell, the author.
March 11, 2026
Why don’t those unalienable rights apply to women?
We loved Norah on the news, and I was excited to read her book. And, wow, was I inspired by the strong, smart, amazing women featured here!
I was also pleased to see names of women about whom I’d read and seen in movies.
Perfect for America’s 250th anniversary.
We loved Norah on the news, and I was excited to read her book. And, wow, was I inspired by the strong, smart, amazing women featured here!
I was also pleased to see names of women about whom I’d read and seen in movies.
Perfect for America’s 250th anniversary.
March 14, 2026
This was fantastic. A collection of biographical sketches of American women from our founding to today. I hadn’t heard of most of the women featured in this book and really appreciated hearing about so many trailblazers.
April 5, 2026
Loved learning about the women that are not as well known in American history and their stories, each chapter features a different person. The only complaint I have is that it reads like a history book, very factual and informative, but not the best storytelling narrative.
March 6, 2026
This was so informative but a little too history book for me. I still loved learning about all the women, though!
March 9, 2026
4.5 ⭐️s…great her-story of amazing women throughout our country’s 250 years. Despite having a degree in history and an interest in sharing these types of historical accounts with my own girls, I had not heard of many of these remarkable women, but I have a great roadmap to learn more.
March 26, 2026
Very well written and interesting!!
March 28, 2026
I cannot recommend this book enough! from the first page to the last, I learned a million things about a billion fabulous people in American history! I listened to the audiobook, which the author narrates, and it is a pleasure to listen to. I am a history teacher, and even I still found people that I really didn't know about or know much about in these pages! truly a wonderful work of art! definitely put this on your list!
April 6, 2026
I love the way Norah tells stories, so I was thrilled to learn she wrote a book.
its crazy that in all my history lessons in school, the stories were all male-dominated. and now reading this seeing that there was a woman behind most of these stories...but I hadn't learned a thing?! insane.
my favorite stories I included
Elizabeth Ellet
Deborah sampson
Patience lovell Wright
Hello Girls
Agnes Meyer driscoll
Katharine McCormick
Eleanor Roosevelt
Pat Schroeder
its crazy that in all my history lessons in school, the stories were all male-dominated. and now reading this seeing that there was a woman behind most of these stories...but I hadn't learned a thing?! insane.
my favorite stories I included
Elizabeth Ellet
Deborah sampson
Patience lovell Wright
Hello Girls
Agnes Meyer driscoll
Katharine McCormick
Eleanor Roosevelt
Pat Schroeder
April 15, 2026
I love women and that includes Norah O’Donnell! Happy 250th, America!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews