History is Closer Than We Think

I love reading historical books about strong women. When I do that, though, I often forget just how recent the life I’m learning about was lived. It’s hard to remember that, in the larger picture of these things, that women like Maude Clayborn didn’t really live that long ago. To see how much has changed, or not changed, since Maude was born in 1892 is something that I’ve been sitting with since I finished this book last week. It’s been interesting for me to process this book; there was so much of it I never really expected. This isn’t some heartwarming tale of overcoming adversity and living The American Dream. It’s just a story of a woman who’s life might not have been remarkable, but it was hers and it was real and those are the stories we should be reading. Heroes aren’t just those who change the world, but sometimes just those that survive despite the odds.