Book of Ages

"It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that most Americans aren’t even aware that Founding Father Benjamin Franklin had a sister at all. But Jane Franklin Mecom and her older brother were frequent correspondents, and though she didn’t have her brother’s education, it’s undeniable that she shared his brilliance and impatience with lazy thinking. Author Jill Lepore does an admirable job of reconstructing the life of a woman who could have been doomed to obscurity — and in learning about Jane, we learn more about Ben and the country he helped build. Book of Ages is an endlessly fascinating look at the sometimes tragic, always spirited life of one of early America’s most interesting women."

"especially her biography of Ben Franklin's sister, "Book of Ages," a painstaking unearthing of a disregarded woman's voice."