Behind every great man is a great woman.

These are words we all know, but what do they mean? Some might consider it an ode to a supportive wife standing in the shadows, but what about the source of a man’s greatness? What if we look to his mother?

Carriers of Genius is an examination of the lives of twelve famous men—twelve great men—through the eyes of their mothers. In it, we see how people like Teddy Roosevelt and Albert Einstein came to be the legendary figures and household names they are today.

Told in interview format, author and psychic Jan Helen McGee gives these women a voice as they share in their words what it was like to be the mother of genius and to shape history in unimaginable ways.

A tribute to women everywhere, Carriers of Genius: Conversations with the Mothers of Twelve Famous Men reminds us that there’s a true story behind every myth and that we don’t get places alone.