The Woman's Hour: Our Fight for the Right to Vote

by Elaine F. Weiss

This adaptation of the book Hillary Clinton calls "a page-turning drama and an inspiration" will spark the attention of young readers and teach them about activism, civil rights, and the fight for women's suffrage--just in time for the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Includes an eight-page photo insert!

American women are so close to winning the right to vote. They've been fighting for more than seventy years and need approval from just one more state.

But suffragists face opposition from every side, including the "Antis"--women who don't want women to have the right to vote. It's more than a fight over politics; it's a debate over the role of women and girls in society, and whether they should be considered equal to men and boys.

Over the course of one boiling-hot summer, Nashville becomes a bitter battleground. Both sides are willing to do anything it takes to win, and the suffragtists--led by brave activists Carrie Catt, Sue White, and Alice Paul--will face dirty tricks, blackmail, and betrayal. But they vow to fight for what they believe in, no matter the cost.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Feminism, American History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2020

About the author

Elaine F. Weiss is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and on National Public Radio. She is a correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adaptation for young readers and what a great and fascinating read this was. I found this to be an inspirational read that taught me as well about civil right, and how women fought for the right to vote. What a perfect time to read this as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment.

It is so inspiring to read about the brave activists such as Carrie Catt, Sue White, and Alice Paul fight for what they believe in, setting an amazing example for our young readers and encourage their active involvement in politics and policies today. What an amazing read I highly recommend!

[Kaethe]

17 April 2021

I can only imagine that the adaptation of the original for young readers is at fault here, because reviews of that book are full of praise. Certainly I can't believe that the real book is so condescending and patronizing: "imagine if only half of the students in your school got to make all the decisions for everybody: what school clubs you could belong to, which sports teams were allowed to play, who could attend dances, who could write for the school newspaper."

Possibly I am just in a bad mood, but it seems like an 8-12 year old student has a keen grasp of what it feels like to have no autonomy, no legal rights, and no voice in the public realm.

"People were having trouble making ends meet."

Children lack historical knowledge. Give them actual context: are we talking homelessness, hunger, no new shoes this year or dropping out of school in 4th grade to get a job in a factory?

[Ryan H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another read with Nora. At a perfect time in political history. I was proud that she understood that it was not fair for women to not have the right to vote.

[Lex’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still stressed out.

[REVIEW]

*Trigger/content warnings in this book for antisemitism, racism, and sexism*

I had a little knowledge about the Women’s Suffrage Movement beforehand because of my high school history books and a class I took in college. Emphasis on “little”. The high school books taught a whitewashed, detail-lacking version of the Suffrage Movement. They said that women were granted the right to vote, but did not discuss the decades of marches and hunger strikes and a president saying women *could* be given the right to vote, but only if the state allowed it. The books also said women were allowed to vote in 1920–when in reality, it was only white women. It would take even longer for WOC to also have the right to vote. I learned more about these facts in my college class, which was eye-opening but frustrating.

Going into this book, I was worried that this book would also be whitewashed. While I did learn more about Suffrage Movement (I had no idea that it was Tennessee who determined if women would get the national right to vote), I do wish the story had had more perspectives on suffragists who were WOC. The book does mention the racism Black suffragists faced, and that only white women were the only ones allowed to vote when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed. However, I would’ve appreciated more marginalized voices in this. Maybe having this co-written with a BIPOC historian would’ve helped with that.

I still learned a lot more than before I went into this book. The amount of men who kept going back and forth with who they supported was frustrating to read about. I recognized a few names of the suffragists, but there were plenty that I hadn’t. Reading about how close the votes were was shocking. I couldn’t imagine how stressful that must’ve been.

All in all, this is a good book to START learning about the Suffrage Movement, but please don’t let this be the only book and resource you read about it. Read about the Black Suffrage Movement and the Indigenous Suffrage Movement. Understand that there were several white suffragists who were racist and not as progressive as they should’ve been. Study and learn with an intersectional and antiracist eye. And of course, go out and VOTE.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that the fight for women’s suffrage was so contentious—down to one vote, win or lose, in the Tennessee House. Painfully stretched out over several days, due to politically wrangling and intense pressure from both the “Suffs” and the “Antis”, courageous Harry Burn cast the deciding 49 to 48 vote to pass woman’s suffrage (sadly, except for black women.) That made the state of Tennessee the critical 36th state in the union to vote their support and therefore ratify the 19th amendment for the US. Exciting narrative non-fiction. A great middle-grade read for a contentious presidential election year.

[Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars. Despite some occasional Catherine-Drinker-Bowen-esque language describing emotions and physical behavior that can really only be guessed at, this is a well researched history of the battle to get the 19th Amendment ratified in Tennessee. The prose is readable, and there are explanations of terms which might be unfamiliar to a younger person. This is an inspiring story--the suspense is powerful, even though readers already know how it turned out. A good starting point for anybody, even a grownup, to learn more about the suffragists and their struggle. Illustrated with photographs.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this the weekend before the 2020 presidential election was an eye opening experience. Elaine Weiss and, Erica Moroz, who wrote this young reader adaptation of Weiss's book for adults, do a stellar job of building the tension around a narrative that centers on the last few weeks before the final vote in the Tennessee statehouse. Even though I know how it ends, I was actually found myself worried the amendment would not be ratified! I never realized how contentious and factious ratifying the 19th amendment was in Tennessee, the last state needed for ratification to happen. There were the "Suffs" but there were also the "Anti-Suffs," a group of women who lobbied against ratification. There were men firmly on both sides. The Suffs, a mostly privileged group of white women, came in two groups and between and within those groups there was tension. There were men who waffled through the whole thing. There were corporations involved in bribing legislators with jobs. There were messages sent to legislators saying their wives were sick or their house had burned down, trying to get them to leave town so they wouldn't vote to ratify. The Suffs actually sent women to the train station to make sure legislators did not skip town. Other Suffs were assigned to tail specific legislators to make sure they were not dissuaded from their commitment to vote for ratification. The speaker of the house of reps was a bully--he actually leaned in heavily, whispering heatedly (threateningly?) in Banks Turner's ear when it appeared that Turner's vote might be the final vote needed to pass the amendment. And then there's the blatant racism that was integral to all of this. CRAZY.

AND there was presidential campaigning going on at the same time. Both the Republican and Democrat candidates leaned in trying to persuade TN to ratify the amendment. The description of the economy post WWI is heartbreakingly familiar one hundred years later. Interestingly, Harding, the Republican nominee, made a promise of "America First."

REALLY APPRECIATED the end of the book that details how access to voting remained a problem for A LOT of U.S. citizens even after the ratification. "Nearly four thousand black women and men were denied their voting ballots in Jacksonville, Florida" that presidential election and "in Boston, black women got face notices warning them that they might face fines and prison if they registered to vote." And ACCESS TO VOTING CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM--"in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the act's most effective enforcement tool." You know the rest. In a sense, the reader is called to action.

ONE WISH but not a dealbreaker - I wish there'd been an author's note geared towards the middle grade reader audience. Young readers deserve a note that reveals accuracy and authority. In the book, there are lot of details that make you wonder what's fact and what are conclusions drawn by the author or elaboration designed to keep the reader's interest (e.g., hand gestures a Suff made during a speech or when she is waiting for others to arrive, etc.). Young readers would benefit from reading about why the author

I'd BOOK TALK this to students (4th-9th even), particularly those interested in reading history. You might introduce with, "Did you know there were women against the ratification of the 19th amendment?" and "Did you know that men possibly bribed by other powerful men might have voted against the 19th amendment?" "That the suffragettes assigned each other to statehouse delegates - to tail, take out to dinner, watch carefully to make sure no one talked them out of their promise to ratify?"

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1920 the fight for woman's suffrage became the political hot button issue of the day. For decades the champions of the cause, most notably Carrie Catt, Sue White and Alice Paul, followed the ideals of Susan B. Anthony to bring the vote to American women. Now the bill has been ratified by 35 states and only one more is needed to make it the law: Tennessee. The "Suffs" swarm into Nashville hoping to convince local politicians that a vote for women is the right thing to do. Along with these dedicated women comes another equally determined group: the "Antis". These women will stop at nothing to see that the bill is shot down therefore protecting what they see as women's rightful role: wife and mother. At times there were many devious ploys involved such as bribery, false accusations, defamatory newspaper articles and physical threats. Fortunately, after weeks of debate in both the Tennesse Senate and House, the bill was ratified and the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. On the other hand, black voters were still denied in most cases and it would take many years for that issue to be addressed and corrected.

I actually learned quite a bit reading this book. I had no idea that there were so many women opposed to women's suffrage. Of course I knew there were plenty of men against it but, from today's point of view, I don't understand women's opposition to their own rights. Thankfully there were so many brave women willing to fight for what they knew was right and we all have become the recipients of their great gift.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right to vote is one of the most important cornerstones of a democracy; right now voting feels so critical to the future of the U.S.  But...children may need to be reminded that this right is not one to take for granted and that it came to be only after many struggles.  In fact, they might be surprised to learn that women were not given the right to vote until 1920, long after the country came into being.  As is obvious, this year is the 100th anniversary of the enfranchisement of women and an ideal time to learn about and reflect on this critical right and responsibility. 


In this illustrated chapter book, the story of women's suffrage is told   The work of three generations of women, men and those of many backgrounds to change opinions and win this campaign, is described with its many ups and downs.  Readers will meet the many important women who fought this fight including Carrie Chapman Catt, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others.  They will see this struggle put into context with issues of prejudice that were very much present in the country.


In addition to the main text, there are many pages that describe terms that readers may not be fully familiar with, as for example, how congress works or what the term constituent means.  These will enhance the learning of the book's audience.


This title should be in school libraries and in the homes of families.  It details such an important movement in America.  Hopefully readers will walk away with a sense of the importance and privilege of casting a ballot.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was inspirational, relevant, and NEEDED. This taught me things I never knew but wish I had. It was about civil rights and just how hard women had to fight for the ability to vote. We take it for granted today, often forgetting just how much blood, sweat, and tears went into getting it.

I plan on buying a copy for every female I know and gifting because it needs to be in the hands of women and readers.

[Julie Bestry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note that there are two versions of Elaine F. Weiss's The Woman's Hour. The first, the 340-page book written for adults is subtitled "The Great Fight to Win the Vote," while the book described here, at half the number of pages, subtitled "Our Fight for the Right to Vote," was adapted by (mostly uncredited, except in the acknowledgements) Erica Moroz "for young readers." Guess which one I accidentally reserved for curbside pickup?

That said, this version of the book is not merely for children; while the initial chapters do have sidebars explaining the role of the legislature, state vs. federal constitutionality, and Jim Crow laws, I suspect this book would be more applicable for adolescents, teens, and adults seeking an easy read on the topic.

Rather than tackling the entirety of the women's suffrage movement, The Woman's Hour focuses its somewhat breathless attention on the last six weeks of the campaign to get Tennessee, the 36th state, on-board in order to ratify the 19th Amendment. A reader who had no background in the topic would learn the highlights -- the major players in the Suffs and the Antis, the special interest groups (primarily the railroads and their wealthy owners), the double-dealing of politicians and the machinations behind the scenes, and the key reasons behind the opposition to women's suffrage.

It's both unsurprising and somewhat horrifying to realize that, other than fussing over the validity of old-fashioned gender roles, the main underpinning of the argument against women's suffrage was racism. As a history-minded person, this was not unknown to me, but to read speeches made on the floor of the Tennessee Senate invite raw disgust. Indeed, were this a movie-of-the-week treatment of the topic, the disgusting speech by Tennessee State Senator Herschel Candler would have been the turning point at which any disinterested party would realize that no one on the side of goodness or right could have said, "They [suffragists] would drag the womanhood of Tennessee down to the level of the negro woman! ... Within a very few years after this amendment has passed, you will find that the Congress has legislated so as to compel we people of the South to give the negro men and women their full rights at the ballot box." I'm writing this on the very day that two US Senate runoff elections (in Georgia) are taking place five miles from me (in Tennessee), where the subjugation of Black people and the suppression of their votes continues to this day.

Weiss does not spend very much time on this topic, but it is not ignored. At various times through the book, the specter is raised of how Black suffragists, women and men alike, worked hard for the right of women to vote, even when they were marginalized, and the end of the book does make very clear that while white women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, Native Americans were not even granted citizenship until 1924 and could not always vote until the 1950s, and Asian-Americans could not vote until the 1950s, and of course, Black Americans, while eventually having the benefit of 1965's Voting Rights Act still suffer from voter suppression until this day.

If you're looking for a book on the marginalization of Black women in the suffragist movement, this isn't it, but neither does Moroz's adaptation of Weiss's book shy away from it. (I'm not sure whether the adult version gives this more attention, but given that Tennessee was the linchpin, this makes the topic especially important.)

Again, the vote focuses on the last six weeks in Tennessee, trying to get to ratification. We are given heroes and heroines of the cause, as well as politicians guilty of betrayal "Antis" who had religious and racist reasons for opposing women's suffrage. (It should be noted that though it was barely discussed, many politicians cared less about women having the vote than about what it would mean to their re-elections, their votes on prohibition of alcohol, and the ability to get and keep bribes.)

This book is a good choice for anyone who would prefer an easy entry into the topic of women's suffrage but wishes to skip to the end of the story, which in this case, was 70 years in coming. The major flaw of the book is that it fictionalizes too much of the women (mostly the Suffs, but also the Antis), talking about them patting their hair and fixing their collars and fiddling nervously with their hands. We shouldn't be privy to any emotion or action without a footnote/endnote to a primary source.

We get a little background of Carrie Catt, Sue White, and Alice Paul, but after a while, so many names of the second-tier players tend to blend together, and it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard. (Seriously, a version for younger readers should have a graphic at the front with each major player's name and some identifying information; it was hard to recall by name that Josephine Pearson was the Anti, the one villain who without a political bent.)

In the end, the breathless storytelling and fictionalizing of what was going on in the heads of these women, alone in their hotel rooms, got to be a bit much, losing it one star for me, but a younger reader mind find that it energizes the tale. I'll circle back around to Weiss's heavy tome for adults, but not right away. Meanwhile, I appreciate the reminder, especially after this past year, of how hard-fought our right to vote is, and how much we must value it.

[Rachel Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time reading this with my daughter. We took turns reading it out loud, and took long breaks too. She had a lot of questions in the last election cycle with all of the bullying political signs she was seeing everywhere. I can’t answer everything for her at her age, but this book was sitting proudly on the shelf at the library where we vote. We took it home and began the conversation of what it means to vote, the history of voting, the history of citizenship, talks about compassion and the lack thereof. She spoke passionately about equality and learned that great things we have now were fought for, and have to continue to be fought for.
We also read “Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles” and while she liked flipping through the pages in that book while riding around in the car, she enjoys having girl talk. And she wanted her girl talk to be all about equality.

We felt it was age appropriate for a 9 year old, but I will encourage her to read it again for herself when she’s 12. While we were able to have glancing conversations and the book introduces historical aspects she might not be familiar with - I think a read when she’s a bit older will enable her to discover the intricacies of the voting system itself, how amendments get passed, and that causes can take decades before movement is seen.

[Donna Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a big reader of non-fiction, but when I saw this adapted version of a rather huge, but well thought of book on women's right to vote was available through Libby so I could listen to it, I grabbed the chance. I am glad I did because I feel every young girl (13-18) should read this because it makes us value all the work the suffs did to get the vote for us now, and we tend to take it for granted. It should give us a kick to vote every time we can --- and vote for women's rights! Now, at the ballot box esp. this year, this becomes an even more important book to read so whether you are an adult reader or young adult reader, please read this and appreciate all the work to get the 36th state (Tennessee) to finally pass it --- I give it 4 because even as short as this is (4 hours to listen to it), it still has a ton of names to get used to reading, and so sometimes it was a tad confusing --- but really, the adapted version takes its time on this one important vote --- the last one in Tennessee!

[JoLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the summer of 1920, and if the 19th Amendment is ratified by one more state, it will pass. This history book, adapted for young readers, is the story of the fight for that last state, Tennessee.

In this book, we see the players on both sides of the fight. We see the women who are fighting tooth and nail to get the State Congressman to ratify the Amendment, and the women who are adamantly against its passing. We see bribery and trickier and Congressmen who make promises to both sides. We see some staunch fighters for traditional gender roles and plenty of sexism. We see the sad reality that racism plays in the fight against the ratification.

I like that this book focuses on this one moment in the fight for the passing of the 19th Amendment.

Review copy from NetGalley.

[Jillaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adapted for young readers. It's been five years since I listened to the fabulous original edition. Next week I have the opportunity to attend a book club with the author, so I thought this simpler version would be a good refresher. It was. It's highly engaging and inspiring. I knew I was missing out on the depth and many details of the full adult version, but this still featured all of the key players and enough particulars.

I still felt the mounting anxiety of the Tennessee House vote and the tearful relief when the motion to ratify was passed. Even when you know how the suffrage fight turned out, Elaine Weiss (and her companion author on this edition, Erica Moroz) made the history come alive.

[Bonnie Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book . A historical , basic rendition of the struggles and challenges faced by the suffragettes women and supporters in a time of repression , the 19th amendement . The violence against black people , men being lynched simply for attempting to vote .The thought of it angers and triggers me .

It was interesting and disturbing and made me think about a lot of rights that we have today that we take for granted .
If we give women the right to vote , they Will want to speak up , play sports , wear pants and won’t want to be mothers anymore …….. wow ……. Not knowing history , deems you to repeat it.

Our way of life is a fragile thing when you think about it…. This is what this book triggered in me .

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Every school library should own this book.

Ms. Weiss did an excellent job at simplifying the journey of the women's vote for young readers. I was most impressed at the author's ability to keep it apolitical focusing on both the positive and negative events by both parties. It is rare these days. I liked the explanation for political terms which young readers may not be familiar with.

If there is one criticism I may have for the book, it may be that the placement and number of pictures of critical people during this movement. I thought pictures were lacking and placed in the center of the book as a simple addition rather than as part of the "text" of the book. Not a big enough issue to decrease my rating, but definitely something that disappointed me while reading it.

Reviewed via Netgalley

[Augusta Dionysus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book (adapted for younger audiences) details U.S. women's fight for the right to vote, written in story form. Any young readers interested in women's rights or the history of how women fought for an equal position in society should read this book. With points of view both for and against women's suffrage, the story exposes the reader to different opinions and beliefs, something that will help make young readers more understanding of different viewpoints. This book is definitely important for younger generations.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational recollection of the fight for the Woman's right to vote!

This is an incredible book that let's young readers know what the women who came before us had to do to secure a right that we often take for granted now. Despite being eligible to vote for nearly 15 years, I've only been voting for the past 3. I wish I could have gotten my hands on this book (or a book like it) when I was in high school. I fully believe it would have helped turn me into an enthusiastic voter at 18 instead of 30.

[michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book for young readers to get informed about the fight for women's suffrage. I listened to the audio book version and it just seemed to fly by. The focus of the book was the vote in Tennessee that made all of the difference for the movement, but it also gave history on how they got there and focused on the key players. Excellent for 10-16 and should be in every middle school library.

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good adaption of the original book and geared for young readers. It has all the pertinent details that described the fight for women's suffrage. I would suggest that it might be too detailed for younger readers, and that older children would appreciate it more. Even though we know the outcome of the struggle for the right of women to vote, this account is enlightening and informative concerning what individuals experienced, both the suffragettes and those opposed.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Youth version of her adult book about the fight for the ratification of the 19th amendment in Tennessee the 36th state. It was not a given and at times looked like it would not happen. Weiss does a great job of re-creating the tension ( after all we did know the ending) and informing the reader of the main characters in this drama as well as some history of the suffrage movement.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughters Girl Scout troop is passing this book around for each girl to read and I read it with my 10 year old every night before bed. It was really good! So much I didn’t k ow about and now I’m curious to learn more. I got emotional and cried more than once, glad I got to share this book with her.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. So much information about how women’s suffrage was won, that I didn’t know. It’s very detailed... maybe too detailed for “young readers,” if they don’t have a grasp of the basics yet. The first half was a bit hard to follow who was who. The second half really picked up and I found myself engaged in the drama. Overall, I learned a lot and highly recommend.

[Katherine Hussey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable story especially of the last few weeks before the 19 th Amendment was ratified by Tennessee, making woman suffrage the law of the land, at least for white women. Seemed long, especially the first half of the book, but well told, the last bit vividly told. Important history we never learned in school.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adapted young reader’s version of her nonfiction book about Tennessee becoming the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. Very emotionally charged but full of explanation about the controversy surrounding the 19th amendment.

[Sandra Kimmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book hard to follow in both the adult and YA forms. Too many names and places, and very repetitive. I know this is how the whole thing went down, with congressmen promising one thing then doing another, backtracking, promising again, but geez louise.

[Karma :0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly an amazing book. even though i read the adapted version it never feels like its talking down to you. read it in about 5 sessions in total i feel like this is a must read if you want to get a bit more depth on women’s suffrage or a start to it!

[Marna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing, what all took place in the weeks leading to Tennessee (thence, the Nation's) ratification of the 19th Amendment. Reminds me that one issue is never JUST one issue.

[Joyous Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for young readers to learn about how women got the right to vote!