Brief

Forty-eight years before women were granted the right to vote, Victoria Woodhull dared to run for President of the United States; however, her name has been virtually written out of history books. Madame Presidentess tells her story from youth through the end of her presidential campaign.

What We Liked

The beauty of this story is that it’s both timeless and timely; the characterization, subject matter and journey arc are applicable to the time period while touching upon current issues. Victoria herself exemplifies a realistic and admirable woman. She combines resilience with humanity, showing that you can be caring and collected while pursuing goals vigorously. By being a strong yet flawed woman, she is believable and likable.
In line with other women-fronted media, this story is relevant when considering the current attention on movements such as #MeToo. The issues faced today are similar to what Victoria deals with: overcoming struggles to make the world a better place for the next generation of women. Beyond these ties to our current climate, a strong journey arc is always an inherently relatable one and pushing a version of this with a female lead creates more accessibility.

Synopsis

Victoria Woodhull is an alpha female in an era when most men viewed women as better seen, not heard. Her story starts with her vagabond family, constantly on the move as they are chased out of towns for swindling people (which Victoria knows by trade). The only thing that keeps Victoria sane from this lifestyle is her ability to talk to spirits such as her spirit guide Demosthenes, an ancient Greek philosopher. Victoria’s world changes drastically when 28 year-old "doctor" Canning Woodhull – a falsely educated salesman – marries her at 14 and takes her to San Francisco.
Victoria painfully realizes Canning’s deception, as he is both physically and mentally abusive. They have a child, Byron Woodhull, who is mentally disabled due to Canning abusing Victoria while pregnant. With the weight of this on her, she persists by becoming a seamstress for a theater company and then eventually an actress for them. Canning and Victoria have a daughter, Zulu. With a little girl to care for, Victoria soon realizes she has been manipulated by men for too long and must start carving out her own path to be an example for her daughter. Part of this choice comes from Demosthenes’ spiritual advice, which Victoria strengthens by opening her own sanctum to talk to spirits in St. Louis. The sanctum leads her to her future husband, Colonel Blood. Thanks to his progressive thought, he empowers her to follow her dreams throughout the rest of her journey Civil unrest forces Victoria’s hand; unable to be in a city without her same views, she moves to New York City with Blood. Victoria puts her effort behind helping the voiceless through being a spiritual talker and healer to women in brothels. It is here where Victoria finally discovers the women’s suffrage movement. Advice from Demosthenes lands her an adviser position with Cornelius Vanderbilt, who gives her a cut of all his earnings. Victoria uses the funds to open her own brokerage firm – the first one owned by a woman ever.
Successfully achieving her goals does not come without downsides; she runs into criticism and hurdles through chauvinistic taunts and vulgar cartoons. Victoria, frustrated with the lack of women's representation in politics, decides to run for President. It is an insane notion because women don’t have voting rights at this time, but Victoria moves on persistent as ever. Though she loses, this event lit the fuse for the women’s suffrage movement. The worth of Victoria’s efforts didn’t culminate within her various jobs or moments of passion – it lives on in more and more women today.

About The Author

Nicole Evelina is a historical fiction, non-fiction, and women's fiction author whose five books - Daughter of Destiny, Camelot's Queen, Been Searching for You, Madame Presidentess and The Once and Future Queen: Guinevere in Arthurian Legend (nonfiction) - have won more than 30 awards, including three Book of the Year designations.