How did Frances Perkins navigate the political landscape of the early 20th century to fundamentally reshape the American social safety net? Naomi Pasachoff, a scholar of American history and biography, examines the life of the first woman to serve in a United States Cabinet position. By analyzing primary source documents and historical records, the author argues that Perkins’s pragmatic approach to labor reform was the primary engine behind the legislative successes of the New Deal.

Historians and political scientists frequently cite this work as a clear, accessible entry point for understanding the administrative history of the New Deal. Experts note that the text provides a balanced view of Perkins’s bureaucratic influence without becoming overly dense for the general reader.