One Step Forward: A Powerful YA Verse Novel About the Youngest Imprisoned Suffragist and the Fight for Women’s Rights
Raised in a politically divided family, Matilda wondered if she could be as courageous as her older sister who fought for suffrage. Joining the radical protest movement came with plenty of risk. Women were routinely scorned, harassed, arrested—and worse. And taking a stand for her rights could tear her family apart.
Told in powerful verse, One Step Forward follows Matilda’s coming-of-age journey as she takes her first step into action. Amid the backdrop of World War I, Matilda’s story vividly highlights the extreme mental, physical, and emotional battles faced by the protestors leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. It also reveals the bravery, hard work, and spirit of the women who paved the way for future generations to use their voices and votes.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins has spent over twenty-five years in the classroom and library and holds an MA and MFA in children’s literature. She is a teacher-librarian by day and a writer in the wee hours. One Step Forward is her YA debut. She lives on the outskirts of Washington, DC.