I've long enjoyed listening to NPR and also enjoyed reading this look at the "founding mothers" of NPR, namely Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, and Cokie Roberts.

This was a very informative book as to how these women got their start in the business. The author tied their stories in well with the times and efforts to advance womens' equality.

My only gripe is that this book seemed to jump around quite a bit. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

3.5 stars

I expected to love this book, being a fan of both NPR and the Founding Mothers. But I found it oddly organized and didn't particularly care for the chatty and informal tone. Most of the book is taken up with personal stories about the four principals. There is much to admire and a little to make you cringe. Less time is devoted to NPR and I could have used more filling in of that story, but perhaps I didn't understand the scope of the book.

There is heavy emphasis on these amazing women breaking through the glass ceiling and a reminder that it wasn't that long ago that a journalism job for a woman was just not available. They were indeed trailblazers and deserve full credit for that.

Part history, part shared biography, Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie is about four of the grand dames of public radio, and their path through a sexist industry to find a home at NPR. Their voices informed generations of listeners about important historical events, wars, Supreme Court cases, and more. Napoli's book is well-researched and very readable. Will appeal to readers who enjoy American history, women's history, biography, and gender equality.

If you’re a fan of NPR you’ll want to read this “group” biography of the founding mothers. These four trailblazers were radical, but they paved the way for women to be working mothers. They fought the sexism for many of us who followed.

Ultimately not my favorite kind of book but definitely worth dipping into - especially just to be reminded that a beloved institution, NPR, isn't as old as I thought and that American life would be much poorer if it had not succeeded. Want to know more about how National Public Radio became a powerhouse? Read this book.

This book is also for longtime fans of NPR and All Things Considered; supporters of women in leadership roles, especially in journalism and Washington politics, plus all the fans of these strong, opinionated, and trailblazing ladies. Thank goodness they persisted in something that seemed radical at the time. We are better for their work and their gifts.

The author discusses the history of National Public Radio by introducing us to the "founding mothers:" Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, and Cokie Roberts. These women, all born between 1938 and 1944, helped to make the evening program All Things Considered, and NPR itself, a familiar and trusted news source. They were very different (Susan, a Barnard grad from NY; Linda, a New Mexico grocer's daughter who went to Wellesley; Nina a college dropout from New York; and Cokie, daughter of a US senator from Louisiana and another Seven Sisters graduate) but each was driven in her own way, finding a niche in public radio. Recommended for those interested in women's history, or broadcasting. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I was in my early twenties when we moved to Philadelphia in 1975. I don't know exactly when we discovered National Public Radio, it seems to have always been part of our life. We listened to Fresh Air, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Thistle & Shamrock, World Cafe, Piano Jazz, Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Diane Rehm, and later Here and Now, 1A, plus classical music and folk music and jazz.

I recognized the voices of our virtual friends on the airwaves. But I did not know much about them.

Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie is the story of the "founding mothers" of NPR, whose voices we know like old friends. Lisa Napoli has written an entertaining, highly readable book that tells their stories and the barriers they broke. These women were integral to the rise of public radio. They were different in background and personality, but each rose to the top, bonded, and supported each other.

I remember my first full time job n 1972 and the sexism in the workplace. A coworker discovered her salary was far less than the salary of the man who had the position before her. He had a family to support, she was told; her husband was her support. Another coworker told me to get a credit card in my name, and a credit rating. When her husband passed, she was unable to get a car loan. It was a time when women were judged by their appearance and attraction. A black coworker was chastised for wearing 'ethnic' earrings. I was fired for a fashionable frizzy perm.

This was the world Susan, Linda, Nina and Cokie encountered when forging their careers.

There were women who had broken the barrier into journalism to inspire them. When a young Linda Cozby (later, Wertheimer) saw trailblazer Pauline Frederick reporting the news, it was a revelation. "To hell with being Edward R. Murrow's secretary," she thought. "I'm going to aim higher."

In 1959, Susan Levitt Stamberg's "blue-chip" education wasn't as important in the workplace as her ninety-nine words a minute typing speed. She started as a secretary for the new 16 magazine where she chose the winner of the "I Miss Elvis Contest" when Elvis entered the U.S. Army. She advanced to secretary at The New Republic, which gave her a "crash course in Washington." When start-up station WAMU-FM needed a full time producer, at low pay, she found the challenging job she needed.

As a girl, Nina Totenberg, daughter of an eminent violinist, was inspired by Nancy Drew. It struck her that "journalism seemed as close to detective work as she could imagine." Her first job in journalism was working on the women's pages of a daily newspaper.

Cokie Boggs came from an elite background of democratic, Southern, Catholic, politicians. But when she fell in love with the Jewish Steve Roberts, who planned a career in journalism, she knew a political career was out. Cokie found employment in television, including Meet The Press. After Steve and Cokie married, she had a checkered career as her husband was assigned across the world. While having babies and raising her children, she worked with Steve. While abroad, reporting breaking news for CBS made her mark and her career.

NPR's development, advances, and economic woes is a major part of the book.

Susan earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Cokie became one of the best-known women in America. Nina's coverage of the Supreme Court, including the Anita Hill sexual harassment suit against Clarence Thomas, earned her top awards. Linda was with NPR from its beginning, integral to All Things Considered, and reporting on Washington politics.

The book is as inspirational as it is informative.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Read if you: Enjoy reading about pioneering women in journalism.

This is a highly entertaining and appealing look at the early days of NPR, particularly its "fpunding mothers" who made significant marks on NPR. Also a great overview of the early days of the women's movement and the restrictions women faced during that time.

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase if NPR is popular among your patrons.

Many thanks to Abrams and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the opening chapter about Cokie Roberts a personal hero of mine on to each and everyone of these women I avidly read this book.NPR the extraordinary radio station where these women broadcast inform us bring the news to life.Each of these women who known by their first names are groundbreaker in the world of radio news.Getting to know about their beginnings their personal lives their friendships.A book all fans of npr and imparticular this group of newscasters pioneers in the industry.Will be recommending.#netgalley #abrams