In a time when the struggles and hard-won achievements of our foremothers are in danger of being rolled back or forgotten, Laura Madeline Wiseman turns our attention to a literary and familial ancestor who, after her only child’s death, waved “Goodbye/to motherhood, to one kind of life” and “bowed in welcome to another.” Wiseman blends archival research and imagination, vividly capturing intimate exchanges that resonate historically… Queen of the Platform is a timely and terrific read.
– Jane Satterfield