As a Tennessean, I’m going to argue that the most important single contribution Tennessee has made in its history is the ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote not only in Tennessee but across the United States. Yet, despite taking a Tennessee history class and minoring in history in college, it was outside of school that I finally heard of how close the amendment came to failing, and that in the end it was all up to Tennessee, which makes me cringe just thinking about it. This book tells not only that story, but also the story of the woman’s suffrage movement across the nation. The last half is so intense it reads like a thriller—blackmail, espionage, fighting. And it all comes down to a single swing vote.—Margaret Kingsbury for BookRiot

In her introduction, author Elaine Weiss frames a pivotal moment in the tumultuous saga of American women’s suffrage in the early twentieth century. In 1920, Tennessee sits poised to become the majority state needed for federal ratification of the 19th amendment. Narrator Tavia Gilbert’s portrayals of opposition activists, politicians, and proponents of universal voting rights swell with the weight of their moral convictions. Her subtle Tennessee drawl and East Coast accents distinguish local players from national activists and special interest groups. Despite her sympathetic tone for the suffragists, Weiss doesn’t hesitate to discuss the complex dynamics and pervasive racism among groups for and against the amendment. While listeners know the end result, they’ll be swept up by Gilbert’s impassioned performance nonetheless.—AudioFile Magazine