First Lady of Pennsylvania

As a nation struggled for survival, one woman answered the call.

As revolution stirs in Britain’s American colonies, Esther De Berdt leaves the security of her beloved London home to begin a new life in Philadelphia with the ambitious young lawyer Joseph Reed. Intelligent, deeply devout, and determined to build a happy family, she soon finds herself at the center of events that will forever change America.

Petitions give way to war and Esther opens her home to men such as John Adams and George Washington as her husband rises from successful lawyer to one of Washington’s most trusted aides. With Joseph repeatedly called away by Congress and the army, Esther must shoulder the burdens of home, motherhood, and uncertainty, discovering that courage is often found not on the battlefield but around the family hearth.

When the Continental Army faces hunger, cold, and desperate need, Esther draws upon her faith and gifts for leadership to unite the women of Philadelphia in an unprecedented campaign. The young Englishwoman who reluctantly left London will become Pennsylvania’s First Lady and a leader in her own right, transforming private compassion into public action, leaving an enduring mark on the American Revolution.