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 while watching her husband rise 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 refuses to stand aside. Drawing upon her faith and remarkable gifts for leadership, she unites the women of Philadelphia in an unprecedented campaign that transforms private compassion into public action and leaves an enduring mark on the American Revolution.

Richly grounded in historical fact, First Lady of Pennsylvania is the inspiring story of an extraordinary woman whose quiet faith, steadfast love, and unwavering courage helped sustain a nation in its darkest hour. It is the first novel in the Daughters of Light trilogy, celebrating three remarkable women whose lives helped shape the birth of America.