Her Quiet Revolution

by Marianne Monson

[sstaley]

Her Quiet Revolution ended up being a great surprise to me. I love history and reading historical fiction. This book happens to be a Biographical Historical Fiction. It's based on the life of Martha Hughes Cannon (1857-1932) a Pioneer woman, one of the first female doctors to go to medical school, and the first female state senator. Her credentials are quite impressive but she went through a lot to get to that long list of accomplishments.

This book spans four decades starting when she came across the plains of America in a covered wagon with her family. During this trip, her baby sister dies and her father dies three days after they enter the Salt Lake Valley. These tragic deaths motivate her to study to become a healer and eventually a well-respected doctor. During this period, and in Utah, it is amazing that she was able to reach her goals. I admire Mattie so much and how she didn't give in and always was looking for ways to achieve her dreams. She definitely was not like most women in her time period. Mattie wanted more than to just have a husband and children. The one aspect of her life that shocked me a bit is when she fell in love with Angus Cannon, a prominent Mormon leader, and polygamist. Though she married him and had children with him, she never had him fully in her nor her children's life. Polygamy was not a popular thing in the late 1800s in the USA and Mattie had to flee a few times to protect her and her children from local & federal authorities.

This book showcases so many ideas and the beginnings of women building a place for themselves in the USA and the world. Mattie was there at the beginnings of great medical understandings and practices. Mattie helped open doors for women being accepted into medical school and into the profession. She also stood as a voice for women to be heard and represented in the political arena. Her life was so amazing and I so enjoyed reading about her and her family. I especially loved her step-father, James, who basically raised her from a young child. He loved and supported Mattie and cushioned the hard stance that Mattie's mother Elizabeth took towards Mattie's early life choices. In later years, her mother changed her views and was a great support to Mattie and her children.

This was an incredible read that made me grateful for women like Mattie. They paved the way for the women of today. I highly recommend this book to all readers who love historical fiction.