Obstinate Daughters Cover Reveal
Earlier today my wife Denise Kiernan revealed the cover of her next book, which is called Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution. For those you asking, “Well, what’s it about?” I respond, “That’s what it’s about.” In 2026 the United States will mark its 250th anniversary, which is linked to July 4, 1776, the date that most Americans associate with the nation’s founding. Denise’s book arrives in bookstores June 23, 2026, and she’s planning a number of bookstore and speaking events in what will probably shape up to be a crazily patriotic year.
I have a bit more to share with you, but first…ta-da, here’s the cover.
Click image to pre-order book at Amazon. (affiliate link)
At some point in the future, I’ll share some fun facts about the book. I’ll mention three now:
In the book, Denise tells the story of how, when she was a little girl, she attended a Fourth of July parade celebrating the Bicentennial, America’s 200th Birthday. Excited about the day she had been learning about for months in school, she settled back to watch, hoping to get some idea of how she, a young girl, might play a role in the day’s festivities. Even at that young age, she was astute enough to realize that there were very few role models for girls in that parade. She remembers a marching group of Betsy Rosses, who were miming the knitting of a giant U.S. flag. A pretty dumb visual, if you ask me, but the image stayed with her. It was as if her country, circa 1976, was sending the message that girls and women had and have nothing to contribute to the making of a nation except traditional women’s work.
She knew that message had to be wrong. But it was such an overpowering message that when she started researching the book more than five years ago, she wondered if she would find enough women to populate a narrative nonfiction book of substance.
She need not have worried. She discovered way too many women to feature. The ones who made the cut were especially noteworthy. You’ll see when you read the book.
That’s where you come in, dear reader. The book is now on pre-order at all online retailers, which means if you order now it will be delivered to your device or doorstep on Pub Date. If nothing else, use this opportunity to check out what the book is all about. Some of the links I’ll share will be affiliate links, as usual.
Here’s the cover in all its glory…
Click, clicky, Yankee Doodle Dandy!
Two ways to get the book:
Unless you’re having Denise sign your copy at a book event near you, the best way to get a signed copy is to order from Malaprop’s, the indie bookstore in our hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. They are a great small business, and they have been delivering Denise’s books to happy customers for something like 15 years without a hitch. So you can’t go wrong. If you think you would like the book inscribed a certain way to a friend or family member, I personally, recommend phoning the store to make sure they have all those details down correctly.
Click to visit Denise’s website and see all her books.
