In her day, Addams was one of the most famous women in America and was known around the world as a social activist, a pacifist, the author of 11 books and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In a time before the federal government took little responsibility for the poor, Addams and Hull House in Chicago provided food, health care and educational programs. Like any good biography, this places its subject squarely in the context of her time, focusing on the major social movements of the early 20th century: the struggles for equal rights for African Americans, women’s rights and world peace. The volume covers a lot of ground, includes excellent archival photographs and offers good source notes. Solid reporting, but curiously dispassionate, given its subject. Still, it’s an important work that will introduce an important American to a new generation of readers. (afterword, bibliography, acknowledgments, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
