First line: By the time I was three, I had learned to fear the dark – that was when Pa came home smelling of sharp, unpleasant odors and vented his day’s worth of rage on us.

Summary: Victoria Woodhull knew from a young age that she was destined to be a leader. With the help of her spirit guides she persevered through the trials of an abusive father, a disastrous first marriage and the perils of making her way in a world dominated by men. She used her charm, intelligence and strong belief in women’s rights to break barriers and make history by becoming the first woman to run for President of the United States. But the road to the White House is not an easy one. She is attacked from all fronts by men and women who believe that the woman’s place is in the home but she pushes forward and shows the world what women can truly do!

My Thoughts: How have I never heard of this woman? Has anyone today heard of her? Most likely not. She seems to have been forgotten by the country she tried to change. Even the women who she worked alongside like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony barely mention her in their memoirs. Woodhull helped the suffragist movement push through barriers that had been blocked by in group fighting as well as the opposition. She did not take a side but knew that they had to work together if any change was going to come about.

I was immediately enthralled with Victoria’s story. As the author notes at the end, much of the story is very historical because her life was just so fantastical that not much fiction was needed to fill in the gaps. From the drama surrounding her family, her life on Wall Street and then her fight for the Presidency, Victoria’s life was more entertaining than any fiction could be.

I found her strength through her early years of poverty, abuse and neglect inspiring. She truly embodied the rags to riches archetype. She used the hardships of her youth to build her suffragist/presidential platform. It was something that women from all walks of life could connect with. Every first she achieved brought women one step closer to gaining the right to vote and gain more independence.

From the very first page to the last I devoured Woodhull’s story. I was shocked by everything she went through and all that she achieved. I would highly recommend this for someone who is interested in forgotten U.S. history, women’s history and anyone who loves a great story of strength.

A strong female lead historical fiction, interesting did i enjoy still unsure

Thank you Netgalley for this copy for an honest review

I downloaded this ages ago from NetGalley but didn't remember enough of the desciption so was lost. The spiritualism is portrayed iin such detail that I thought this was a historical-fantasy, sort of alternate history, a la Naomi Novik or steampunk. But nearly half-way through, I couldn't figure out where we were going-- there had to be more to the alternate history story, and there's no way it would be buried in the last quarter of the book-- what sense does that make? So then I reread the description and got the straight historical fiction scoop. But I couldn't wrap what I had already read into the new story structure. Would not purchase for my library.