A great book makes you think about the world in a different light.
This book did that for me.

I love Franklin Delano Roosevelt, I read just about anything to do with him. Frances Perkins is an integral part of FDR and the New Deal.

I did not know that the immigration department was under the Labor Department until 1940 when it was moved to the Justice Department.
Just think about that. before 1940, Immigration was determined BY LABOR! When it moved to the Justice department it then became a crime! What a shift in mentality. It really changed my way of thinking about immigration.

This book covers a part of what I didn't know that much about, Ms Perkins position as Secretary of Labor. As such, she was able to control immigration visas.
People would write to her about Visas, especially for Jewish people fleeing from Europe. Frances responded to every single letter and tried to find a way to help more people.

This also led, indirectly, to her impeachment. She survived and continued to work as the Secretary of Labor, but wow! Things sure did get heated.

The book lost some of its appeal at the very end. When the author went on about how American's viewed the Holocaust throughout history.

The book would have been so much better if the author had stuck with what Frances Perkins did for immigration even AFTER it was moved from labor to the Justice Department.

Overall a good book detailing something I knew little about.

This excellent new book is a welcome addition to the literature on Frances Perkins, an under-recognized figure of American history. Author Rebecca Brenner Graham goes beyond previously published scholarship to reveal the behind-the-scenes workings of how public policy is made and how one individual dedicated her life to shaping government actions on behalf of the common good. With clear story telling and helpful references to popular culture, the author puts the Perkins legacy in context for readers who may not be familiar with 20th century history. Evidencing her painstaking research into the letters, speeches and writings of a public official who guarded her privacy but left no diary, the author explains the multiple efforts Perkins made to save the lives of Jewish and other refugees and details the successes and frustrations she faced as she persevered. Dear Miss Perkins while amply footnoted with references to its sources, is compelling and accessible enough to appeal to general readers and high school students alike. Rebecca Brenner Graham began her research for the book as an undergraduate and intern at the Frances Perkins Center on whose board I serve. We are delighted that she continued to pursue this project through her graduate studies and as a teacher, and pleased that this vital part of the Perkins legacy is receiving the attention it deserves.

Sarah Peskin 8.28.24

I wrote it! I've been a dedicated NetGalley reader for several years, and seeing my debut narrative nonfiction on this site feels really special. thank you so much for facilitating, and I hope that readers connect with the story like I did when I was researching & writing.