Notorious Victoria

Notorious Victoria chronicles the life of Victoria Woodhull, a controversial figure who became the first woman to run for U.S. President in 1872. The biography follows her rise from poverty in Ohio to prominence in New York City as a stockbroker, newspaper publisher, and leader in the women's suffrage movement. Author Mary Gabriel reconstructs Woodhull's dramatic public battles and private struggles through extensive research of primary sources, letters, and press accounts. The narrative traces the complex web of relationships and conflicts that defined Woodhull's career as she challenged the social and political establishment of Gilded Age America. Through Woodhull's story, Gabriel examines the intersection of women's rights, free love philosophy, spiritualism, and radical politics in nineteenth-century America. The biography highlights the fierce resistance faced by women who dared to enter male-dominated spheres of finance, publishing, and politics. The book illuminates enduring questions about gender equality, public morality, and the price of defying social conventions. Through its portrait of this pioneering but polarizing woman, the work provides insight into both the progress and limitations of social reform movements in American history.

Readers appreciate the deep research and historical details in Gabriel's portrayal of Victoria Woodhull. Many reviews note the book brings attention to an overlooked historical figure and effectively captures the social climate of 1870s America. Multiple readers highlight how the book connects Woodhull's story to modern feminist movements. Common criticisms focus on the dense writing style and occasional tangents into peripheral characters. Some readers found the narrative structure hard to follow, with one Goodreads review noting "too many jumps back and forth in time." Several reviews mention wanting more analysis of Woodhull's motivations and personal life. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (386 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (48 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (27 ratings) A repeated theme in positive reviews is the book's thorough coverage of Woodhull's political career and newspaper work. Negative reviews often cite the academic tone and wish for more engaging storytelling.

Sister: The Life of Victorian Feminist Josephine Butler by Jason Brilhante A chronicle of Butler's fight against human trafficking and the exploitation of women in Victorian England reveals parallels to Woodhull's crusade for women's rights.

Mrs. Satan by Myra MacPherson The story of Victoria Woodhull's contemporary, suffragist Tennessee Claflin, traces her journey from fortune teller to Wall Street broker to political provocateur.

The Woman Who Ran for President by Lois Beachy Underhill This examination of Belva Lockwood's 1884 presidential campaign illuminates the obstacles faced by women who challenged political norms in the nineteenth century.

The Scarlet Sisters by Myra MacPherson The dual biography of Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin follows their rise from poverty to power as spiritual mediums, Wall Street brokers, and radical reformers.

Free Woman by Helen Sheehy The life story of Margaret Anderson, founder of The Little Review, depicts a free-thinking woman who defied Victorian conventions through her politics, sexuality, and artistic vision.

🗞️ Victoria Woodhull, the book's subject, was the first woman to operate a Wall Street brokerage firm, opening it with her sister Tennessee in 1870. 📜 She became the first woman to run for U.S. President in 1872, nearly 50 years before women could legally vote. ✍️ Author Mary Gabriel spent more than a decade as a Reuters journalist in Europe and worked as an editor in Singapore before writing this biography. ⚡ Woodhull's presidential campaign platform included women's suffrage, regulation of monopolies, nationalization of railroads, and an eight-hour workday—ideas that were radical for the time but later became mainstream. 🎭 Despite her eventual notoriety, Woodhull began life as a child spiritualist in a traveling family show, where she claimed to heal the sick and communicate with the dead.