I jumped at the chance to read and review LIGHTING THE WAY, Karenna Gore Schiff's first book. Not only did I recognize most of the names, but one of the individuals profiled is a hero of mine. For years I've been reading histories of women in the civil rights and anti-war movements, because to learn about Little Rock and Selma, the sit-ins and the Montgomery bus boycott is to learn about women. Most of us know about Rosa Parks, but there were also ladies like Ella Baker and Virginia Durr. Durr was a truly brave human being who fought her upbringing, her class values and her race, and worked for racial and social justice; she is discussed in LIGHTING THE WAY.

Schiff knows how privileged she has been to be on the front lines of 20th century politics. Both her grandfather and father have been embedded in American politics. She credits her grandmother who, as the "woman behind the man," received few accolades. So Schiff set out to find others: not necessarily the Eleanor Roosevelts and Susan B. Anthonys, but other women whose work on behalf of children, laborers, men of color, and immigrants made a difference.

It was painfully ironic to read about coal miners lost in an explosion in West Virginia.  The newspapers carried stories of dangerous situations and violations of every kind, from minor to life-threatening. And there I was, reading about Mary "Mother" Jones, who worked for child laborers and mine workers. It would have been a poignant reminder if it didn't feel so immediate.

My problems with this book are low-level, say a 3 out of 10. Schiff's footnotes seem unnecessary and awkward; a paragraph on the meanings of "Jim Crow" or "lynching" and a summary of Marian Wright Edelman's career are probably better suited for either a glossary or back-of-the-book footnotes.

I also had trouble with Schiff's personal comments throughout the narrative. I found it startling to read a sentence that would begin "This reminds me of the time" or "I believe that she said this because…" Most likely there was a smoother way to incorporate this point of view; the book needed to include either more of Schiff's own opinions, or none at all, in order to read better.

I hoped to dip in and out of the stories. Schiff's references to earlier individuals and how this person was like the one already mentioned made that more difficult to do. In a volume of portraits and profiles, I think it's better to allow the reader to decide where to go next, and sometimes books like this one aren't necessarily linear. Schiff's insistence on referring back made me feel slightly guilty for not going with the lesson plan.

Schiff's choices of subjects are very good. She writes about women who often "did the work of men": Ida Wells-Barnett's anti-lynching writing, in a different world, might have received a Pulitzer; Dolores Huerta's unceasing energy in the cause of farmworkers was equal to that of Cesar Chavez, who got the attention, credit and recognition; and Septima Clark risked her life to bring civil rights and the vote to southern Blacks. So it seemed a bit odd that one of Schiff's choices was her former boss. (Don't get me wrong, she's very admirable.) The subtitle of the book is "Nine Women Who Changed America," and so it seems too early to judge the impact of someone working today on a changed America. In no way do I mean to denigrate the strength, energy and accomplishments of the very impressive Gretchen Buchenholz, though I'd argue that it's too soon to tell.

But take these gripes as mere pickiness. These are stories worth reading. They're an 8 on a scale of 1-10, far surpassing my concerns with the writing. A major test for a book like LIGHTING THE WAY is to ask "Was that enough?" Before I was through reading, I knew I wanted to find biographies of several of the women; no it wasn't enough. That marks the book as a success. I now know why some of these women are worth honoring. I knew that Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member, but that's not what she did. I knew Ida Wells was important, but didn't know why. Now I do and I'm glad.

In a different time and place, some of these females would be as well-known as their male counterparts, part of mainstream American history. These stories will make you think and wonder "what if?" Get to know these fascinating women.