Excerpt from Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Miss Mathews crossed her arms over her bosom. "We don't approve of courting mischief here at Hartley House. We don't mix with gangsters, politicians, and other criminals in this neighborhood. And we certainly don't confront them. Ever. Is that understood?"

I felt rather like a schoolchild having my knuckles rapped with a ruler, which made me slightly indignant. After all, the Philadelphia Research and Protective Association may have been a bit of a tin-pot operation with a laughable budget, but as executive secretary, I had gotten into the habit of making my own rules.

Now I had to remind myself that I'd left all that behind. So I nodded and smiled. "Understood. I'm only here at Hartley House to study starving babies. How much mischief could I possibly court doing that?"

She made a sound at the back of her throat, but my answer seemed to satisfy her. "Very good, Miss Perkins."

Assuming our interview was at an end, I began to rise with the expectation I'd be shown to my quarters, where I could finally put down my bag, take off my boots, and clean off the dust of my travels. But she stopped me by asking, "One more thing. Why in God's name would a woman want to study economics?"

It wasn't so absurd a question, for in those days, the field of economics had been largely centered on finance, attracting business-minded fellows, aspiring tycoons, and the occasional wild-eyed Socialist. It was, in short, a field dominated by men. And at Wharton, my classmates often whispered behind my back, making no secret that I was unwelcome.

Check out Miss Dimples-

-never heard of a lady economist-

What's the world coming to?

But I had persevered, doing well enough to earn the admiration of my professor, who recommended me for a fellowship. Now here I was, contending with a social reformer who viewed my course of study as a puzzling, if not vulgar, fascination.

"Why economics?" I echoed gamely. "Because many people in America believe poverty is a moral problem having to do with sloth or some other sin we can blame on individuals. But I believe poverty in America is an economic problem that can be solved ... and I intend to solve it."

Excerpted from Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray. Copyright © 2024 by Stephanie Dray. Excerpted by permission of Berkley Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.