Books by Nancy Rubin Stuart

Nancy Rubin Stuart’s biographies detail the lives of some of the most interesting and impactful women in history. Here are a few of her influential titles.

Poor Richard’s Women: Deborah Read Franklin and the Other Women Behind the Founding Father

Published in March of 2022, this book reveals the women who shaped the life of inventor and statesman Ben Franklin, including his wife Deborah Read Franklin as well as those he met in Europe.

Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married

Lucy Flucker and Peggy Shippen lived in Colonial America during a pivotal era of rebellion and revolution. Published in 2013, this book details how one of these women became a patriot and the other became a spy.

The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation

Mentored by John Adams, Mercy Otis Warren of Plymouth inflamed rebellion as America’s first woman playwright and female historian of the American Revolution. Published in 2008, this book was a finalist in the 2010 USA Book News “Best Book Award and was the winner of the Historic 1699 Winslow House Book Award.

The Reluctant Spiritualist: The Life of Maggie Fox

As a teenager, Maggie Fox accidently created a spiritual movement that swept the country. This 2005 biography details her life as a medium and her decision to expose the faith’s fakery.

American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post

Marjorie Merriweather Post was the wealthiest woman in the United States in the early 20th century. This 1995 book chronicles the life of this businesswoman, socialite and philanthropist.

Isabella of Castile: The First Renaissance Queen

Published in 1991, this biography examines the life of Isabella, the warrior queen of 13th-century Spain. She helped build her country into a world power at a time of fierce political intrigue.