Madame Presidentess

by Nicole Evelina

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

It is hard to read Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina and not make comparisons to Hilary Clinton. Like Clinton, Victoria Woodhull has a fight song and in every aspect fought tooth and nail.

Madame Presidentess is beautifully told with the author showcasing Woodhull’s life in a highly readable fashion rather than just presenting the facts. I enjoyed seeing Victoria Woodhull outside of politics. Her time as a seer was very interesting and found her business ventures inspiring. Her pains, as well as her gains, were expertly shown and my heart went out to her during Victoria’s abusive marriage.

In the second part, the novel did become a little repetitive and gave a small sigh when I had to hear about free love again. However, as a whole, I found Victoria’s part in the women’s suffrage movement to be awe-inspiring. This was the highlight of Madame Presidentess, even above her running for office. This petition for rights showed the courage that strongly illuminates Victoria throughout the book. Her actions were a far cry from Meryl Streep’s appearance in the film Suffragette. It was something to admire.

A main staple of conversation for me is what are you reading. When embarking on this topic I would continuously get questioning stares upon mentioning Victoria Woodhull. Granted, I was ignorant of her existence as well, although the further I read the more frustrated I became that she was lost in history. The novel could not have come along at a better time and was very eye-opening to me.

Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina has created a vibrant story with a female lead who was ahead of her time. It was this that has the reader still believing in a place called hope.