Talk to my Aunt Mabel
LEADING LADIES: American Trailblazers
By Kay Bailey Hutchison
416 pp. Harper $25.95
Reviewed by Ruth Douillette
Kay Bailey Hutchison, the first woman to represent Texas in the Senate, has a high-profile platform upon which her latest book Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers perches. The book, which will depend upon Hutchison’s name to carry it, picks up where her American Heroines: The Spirited Women Who Shaped Our Country left off.
Hutchison says her goal is “to inspire young women (and men) with stories of women who have found their own path rather than following a conventional road.”
In textbook prose, enlivened sporadically with Hutchison’s nonpartisan commentary, she introduces an eclectic mix of women in a variety of categories, ranging from women in the military, civil rights, peace movements and medicine to First Ladies, writers, and winners of the Nobel Prize in science. The information is solidly researched, but lacks spark.
The book shows women doing what women do naturally: overcoming adversity, conquering fear, standing fast on principle and caring for others. Hutchison captures the unique strength of spirit evinced by each of her subjects, and summarizes their contributions to society.
Still, while these are women of note who have performed, and in some cases continue to perform, admirably, many are no different from multitudes of unsung American women not cited. They are strong. They bloom where they are planted. They rise above difficulty. Thus the book, in a sense, negates what it aims to do: inspire. Instead, envision women readers asking, “What’s the big deal? Any woman worth her salt would have acted the same way.” Or, “Talk to my Aunt Mabel if you want inspiration.”
There is little new information in Leading Ladies that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Most of Hutchison’s subjects have been written about in greater depth, and discussed in classrooms. Meeting them in this compendium will leave readers saying, “You again?” and wondering if indeed there might be a dearth of trailblazing women in America.
Surely there are exemplary women in today’s military beyond Jean Holm, first woman general in the U.S. Air Force who retired in 1973. But the chapter closes with Holm. Hutchison’s comments: “Barriers to advancement continue to fall and women are emerging as leaders in the military. If there isn’t a women yet among the four-star officers, there are beginning to be enough of the three-star rank that it is only a matter of time.” Readers might like to know of these current three-star women.
Hutchison acknowledges that before women rise to four-star rank, they “must have enough time in combat to allow them to earn the credibility essential to leading a branch of the armed services,” but offers nothing more than this observation.
There is a subtle disconnect among the chapters. The chapter on women in the military paints a different woman than the chapter on First Ladies does, leaving the reader to wonder what exactly “trailblazing” means—to Hutchison at least.
Is it sneaking into battle dressed as a man and having your gender discovered by the doctor who saves your life? Or is it finding yourself in the White House by virtue of marriage to the President-elect?
Hutchison asks of first ladies: “Will their conduct reflect what is best about this country?” Then she says, “They can also be fashion trendsetters. If they wear hats, hats will be in fashion. If they have an attractive hairdo, it is copied.” Trailblazing?
Hutchison writes, “Hillary Clinton, at this writing, is the most serious woman candidate for president in our nation’s history.” She says of Laura Bush, “Laura Bush has blossomed as First Lady and is universally respected for her beautiful manners. And she is likely the most well-read First Lady our country has ever had.” Books on First Ladies abound. This chapter weakens the book.
She closes with six women—among them Dianne Feinstein, Mary Bono and Olympia Snowe—in a chapter called Commitment Overcomes Adversity. Most of the women in the book fit that category; if there is a common thread among them, that is it.
Two strong chapters, which carry the book, are about women in medicine and Nobel Prize winners in science. Here we see women fighting gender bias while using their intelligence to advance knowledge. These are less familiar women who have made an impact on society. Those of us who remember our baby’s Apgar score will be interested to read about Virginia Apgar, who lends her name to the newborn rating scale.
Hutchison says she and her editor “both believe that these stories need to be told so that future generations have the full picture of American history.” This book will add no original brush strokes to the historical painting she envisions. Rather she paints by number, summarizing information already in print.
Leading Ladies might find its mark in the youthful demographic, perhaps as a gift, or perhaps as an anthology for the classroom to be read during “women in history” month. I suggest borrowing it from the library and reading selected chapters, but I would not plunk down $25.95 to buy it.
Ruth Douillette is Associate Editor of The Internet Review of Books.