Join My Book's Hero Team: Celebrate the Release of My Debut Biography During Women's History Month
I'd love your help as I spread the news about my very first book — a political biography exploring the impact one remarkable woman left on U.S. history.
Greetings from a VERY EXCITED debut author!
I'm thrilled to share that my first book, co-authored with Jay Pridmore, is finally available through independent bookstores and major retailers everywhere. As we approach Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8th), I’m asking for your help:
Will you please be a part of my debut book’s HERO TEAM?
If so, THANK YOU! I’ve tried to make things easy for you. Just scroll down to the section below called HOW YOU CAN HELP.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church was published in December by Master Wings Publishing. Readers interested in civic engagement, women's studies, and political history will find the title particularly informative.
Politics, Partnerships, & Power is more than a biography about mid-20th century politics; it's also a love story about a political power couple — Ralph and Marguerite Stitt Church — whose four decades of legislative service in their Illinois congressional district shaped local, national, and international policy.
In 1950, U.S. Rep. Ralph E. Church died suddenly of a heart attack while testifying at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. His widow, Marguerite Stitt Church, ran for her late husband's vacant seat and won. She then won each of her five re-election campaigns.
As one of the first 50 women elected to Congress, Marguerite — described as "the ideal public servant" — broke national election records, helped shatter gender and race barriers, and changed minds about America's long-established political expectations for women.
Fans of biography, historical non-fiction, political science, women's empowerment, mid-20th-century political life, and women in government will appreciate this deeply researched examination of the lives of two former members of Congress. Politics, Partnerships, & Power is the ideal book for readers interested in social reform, civic engagement, congressional/political/U.S. history, policymaking, and, most notably, women in history.
WHY I CO-WROTE THIS BOOK
I first took an interest in Marguerite Stitt Church after hearing that she'd been considered the more effective legislator than her husband. Over seven years — and through the pandemic lockdown — Jay Pridmore (the author of more than 30 books on history, architecture, and urban affairs) and I researched and co-wrote Politics, Partnerships, & Power. We were two authors tackling the first biography about these two former members of Congress.
I was especially fascinated by Marguerite Stitt Church’s brave decision to enter national politics in 1950 — a time when few women took such risks — and that…
…she preferred to be called a congressman, rather than a congresswoman.
…she possessed all the traits of a modern-day feminist, but she (and many other strong women of her era) distanced herself from that term.
…Marguerite’s life story, in particular, had a vivid, cinematic quality.
……Marguerite kept going despite a life interrupted by numerous struggles, and that many of them occurred in March — a month that eventually became Women's History Month. For example:
• March 17, 1914 — Marguerite and her classmates survived a catastrophic fire at Wellesley College.
• March 21st, 1950 — Marguerite’s husband Ralph died suddenly of a heart attack while serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• March 1st, 1954 — Marguerite survived a mass assassination attempt on Congress during the second session of her second term in office.
• March 15th, 1972 — Marguerite’s 13-year-old grandson was struck and killed by an elevated Chicago Transit Authority train near Nichols Middle School in Evanston, IL.
WRITING THE BOOK
While I was interested in both of the Churches as a political power couple, I was particularly interested to learn everything I could about Marguerite.
As my work on this book began, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) had recently lost her bid for President of the United States. Like Clinton, Marguerite Stitt Church (a Republican), had been a Wellesley College-educated political spouse with deep ties to my home state of Illinois. Like Clinton, Marguerite was a professional woman, a community activist, and someone who sought to succeed her well-known husband in office.
I wanted to know how and why Marguerite decided to enter politics, and…
...what Washington was like when Marguerite eventually arrived as a member of Congress rather than as a congressman’s spouse, and…
...how Marguerite not only survived but thrived in the almost exclusively male national political arena, and…
…what inspired her to ignore warnings from others when she invited the first Black guests into the House of Representatives’ private dining room, and…
...how Marguerite approached civil rights, children’s issues, aging, women’s rights, family welfare, efficiency in government, and bipartisan engagement.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Here are some ways to be a LAUNCH HERO:
1. Attend my FREE Book Launch Celebration & Presentation
Politics, Partnerships, & Power:
The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church
A Book Launch and Presentation by Christine Wolf
Hosted by the Evanston History Center in partnership with the League of Women Voters
When: Sunday, March 10th, 2024
3:30-4:45pm
Where: Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood Street
Evanston, IL 60202
Free and open to the public, but space is limited. RSVPs are required
2a. Order the Book from Booksellers
Bookends & Beginnings (Evanston, IL)
The Bookstall (Winnetka, IL)
Women & Children First (Chicago, IL)
East City Bookshop (Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.)
Solid State Books (H Street, Washington, D.C.)
Powell’s Books (Portland, OR)
Target
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Or, find local booksellers through IndieBound and request a copy (online or in person) from them.
2b. Order a Signed Copy From Me
Order a signed copy of the book directly from me. Order through my website, and I’ll send it your way asap.
2c. Order a Free Copy of the Book from the Publisher
Are you a reviewer? Request a FREE COPY of the book, then write and publish a review. Here's a link to request a free copy of the book.
3. Share Your Review
I have no expectations that you’ll endorse this book. I’m only interested in heartfelt and authentic impressions and endorsements. If you’re sincerely enthusiastic about the book, I’d greatly appreciate hearing your impressions about it and what you think might be of interest to others.
Feel free to share your review widely, including
—on your social media platforms
—on Goodreads and/or Amazon (see #6 below for instructions on how to do this)
—or, simply email your review to me, and I'll share it with the publisher and on my social media platforms.
4. Follow and Share Book News On Social Media
—Follow on Facebook PoliticsPartnerships&Power
—Follow on Instagram politics_partnerships_power
—Follow on TikTok: Book (politics.partners) and Personal (christinewolfwriter) (personal). Just for the record, I’m new to TikTok, so go easy on me, lol.
5. Share a blurb
Share a blurb on social media…in your newsletters/blogs…on your website. It all helps! Write your own little bit, or cut and paste from these examples:
BLURB EXAMPLE 1
A #newbook just in time for #WomensHistoryMonth and the #2024election! Politics, Partnerships, & Power is a must-read about a #mid20thcentury #politicalwife who assumes her husband’s vacant seat in Congress after his #suddendeath.
#womenshistorymonth
#womensempowerment
#earlyfeminism
#USPolitics
#PoliticalPartnerships
#PoliticalPowerCouples
#grief
#resilience
BLURB EXAMPLE 2
Co-written by Jay Pridmore and Christine Wolf, Politics, Partnerships, & Power is a #biography and a #politicallovestory about a mid-century, midwestern couple who dedicated their lives to legislative service. Readers interested in U.S. political history, women leaders, women in Congress, political power couples, and local/national/international politics will enjoy this deeply-researched #newrelease.
#womenshistorymonth
#womensempowerment
#earlyfeminism
#USPolitics
#PoliticalPartnerships
#PoliticalPowerCouples
BLURB EXAMPLE 3
Marguerite Stitt Church — raised in Manhattan's posh, Upper West Side and a graduate of #WellesleyCollege and #ColumbiaUniversity — gives up her career as a consulting psychologist to serve as her husband's #politicalhelpmate and raise their young family. But, after U.S. Rep. Ralph Church’s #suddendeath on Capitol Hill in 1950, his widow runs for his vacant seat and becomes one of the #first50womeninCongress. Politics, Partnerships, & Power is the first biography about a couple whose 40+ years of service to their Illinois congressional district helped to shape local, national and international politics. Spanning everything from the awkward dance of #prohibition in Evanston to Marguerite Stitt Church's involvement in the creation of the #PeaceCorps — with a particular focus on her remarkable legacy as a #pioneer for #womeningovernment — this historical nonfiction is both a resource and a gripping delight. Learn more at www.christinewolf.com/politics-partnerships-power.
#womenshistorymonth
#womensempowerment
#earlyfeminism
#USPolitics
#PoliticalPartnerships
#PoliticalPowerCouples
#newrelease
BLURB EXAMPLE 4
As one of the #first50womeninCongress, U.S. Rep. Marguerite Stitt Church (R-IL) broke multiple national voting records, survived a 1954 #MassAssassinationAttempt in the #USHouseofRepresentatives, and passionately defended funding the #PeaceCorps in 1961. When she retired from legislative service at the age 70, it took three men to manage her former #illinois congressional district.
#womenshistorymonth
#womensempowerment
#earlyfeminism
#PoliticsPartnershipsPower
#PoliticalPowerCouples
#newrelease
BLURB EXAMPLE 5
In 1950, after U.S. Congressman Ralph Church’s #suddendeath while in office, his widow runs for his vacant seat and serves six terms. Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church is a #biography and a #politicallovestory exploring U.S. Rep. Marguerite Stitt Church’s #devotion to her late husband, her community, and her country.
#womenshistorymonth
#USpolitics
#feminism
#politicalpowercouples
#newrelease
#earlyfeminism
#womeningovernment
#womenleaders
#midcenturypolitics
6. Share Reviews on Amazon & Goodreads
If you're not familiar with Amazon and Goodreads book review sites, take a look around (and practice posting a book review — it’s easy! Rate another book you've read and loved). I've attached instructions on how to post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads (below).
Unfortunately, if you haven’t spent $50 with Amazon this past year, you won’t be able to leave a book review on that site. However, Goodreads is still an option.
If the thought of writing a "book review" conjures up a 7th grade writing assignment, please try to let go of that. I’m not expecting anyone to post a long “review”. A few simple sentences on what you liked about the book (and why) will demonstrate to potential readers that the book has been enjoyed by others.
7. Suggest More Ways To Promote the Book
Here’s a list of topics covered in the book. Can you think of any organizations that might like to schedule a discussion? Do you know of people, classrooms, groups, or organizations who'd benefit from this subject matter? Can you suggest podcasts or publications that might appreciate discussions and/or content about the subjects in the book? If so, please consider adding your suggestions and ideas to this form.
8. Share This Newsletter
Click that little orange button to share!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
It takes a village to bring a book into the world, and I appreciate ALL the help I can get. Wishing you a healthy and peaceful 2024. I'm grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
Christine
PROMT: Inspired by Marguerite’s resilience, I’m collecting stories from (and about) individuals who identify as women who’ve navigated hardship and kept going. Click here and describe a time that you (or a woman you know) survived something.
This is a brilliant plan to get the word out. Will be ordering a copy!