Breaking the Ice

by Deanne Durrett, Helen Blanchard

Not long ago, women lived the lives that tradition dictated. Few dreamed of being anything other than a wife, mother, or perhaps secretary or teacher. This is the story of Helen Blanchard who broke through the barriers of tradition. Her journey took her from simple beginnings as a teacher in a Midwest one-room school to an exciting life of travel, adventure and worldwide leadership. Helen tells the story of how she left Nebraska to pursue a larger life, complete with travels as a Navy wife and the challenges she faced as a civilian employee of the United States Navy. When she needed help in her professional pursuits, Helen joined Toastmasters International, then a male-only organization. Forced to join under the assumed name, "Homer", she ultimately rose to lead this organization as its first female president. Hers is the story of hard work, dedication, guts, smarts and friendshiip. Helen has won the hearts of aquaintances, supervisors, co-workers -- and most of all -- her fellow members of Toastmasters International. She paved the way for women to join Toastmasters, to participate fully, and to dare to dream of leadership roles.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2011