Cassie asked Stephanie Dray:

Reading America's First Daughter made me feel as if every history class I have ever taken was only half the story. They somehow glaze over women and how pivotal they've been to history - even when they haven't been the ones with the direct power. Firstly, I applaud you for exposing me and others to such wonderful women and their stories. Secondly - how do you pick your topics and which women's stories to tell?

Stephanie Dray First, thank you for your kind words. Second, what a great question! I am drawn to writing about women who have stood in the shadow of others--particularly those who have had to carry on the work of their famous relations. Cleopatra Selene, Patsy Jefferson, and now, from the forthcoming book, Eliza Hamilton, are all women who took upon themselves a mission of guarding, protecting, and picking up the pieces of a shattered legacy. All while learning to define themselves. I love to explore the moral dilemmas, difficult choices, and heartbreaking sacrifices that shaped these women’s lives. And I hope you will fall in love with my heroines just the way that I did when writing about them.

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