"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...

Examines the achievements of forty American women in a variety of fields, each of whom accomplished a significant "first, " including Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to become Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American woman writer to be published, and Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to obtain a license to fly.