Lorissa Rinehart is a women's historian, author, and speaker who brings the past to life with fresh urgency. Her work dives into the powerful crossroads of women's history, politics, and war, uncovering the stories that have too often been left out of the spotlight. She's the author of First to the Front and Winning the Earthquake.

Each week on her Substack and podcast, The Female Body Politic, Lorissa unpacks today's headlines through the lens of 250 years of women's political power in America. She holds an MA in Experimental Humanities from NYU and a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz, and is passionate about making history feel prescient, inclusive, and impossible to ignore.

"This superb biography of the first woman elected to Congress deserves a place on every public and academic library bookshelf." --Library Journal (starred review)

"An illuminating biography... It's a gripping window into progressive political history and one woman's defiance of sexist gatekeepers." --Publishers Weekly

"Drawing on Rankin's many interviews, Rinehart imbues her narrative with her subject's passion and voice. A well-researched biography of a memorable woman." --Kirkus Reviews

"A comprehensive and clear-eyed biography of this important American figure. In a time when a dismaying number of public figures across the spectrum pursue personal and political enrichment, Rankin's courage of her convictions is inspiring." --Booklist

"Gripping from start to finish, Lorissa Rinehart's page-turning biography brings Rankin to life in all her righteous glory. Rinehart's timing could not be better. Her suspenseful and engaging biography of this courageous trailblazer is a stark reminder of a time when some politicians were brave enough to stand up for what they believed in and suffer the consequences. For readers hungry for political role models, Winning the Earthquake is not just inspirational, but therapeutic history." --Clara Bingham, author of The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America 1963-1973

"Astonishing... Rinehart delves into the life of this uncompromising suffragist, pacifist, and social reformer, providing an in-depth look at a woman who never stopped fighting for what she believed in, providing a legacy to inspire countless Americans today." --Lisa Rogak, New York Times bestselling author of Propaganda Girls

"Winning the Earthquake is a powerful reminder that Jeannette Rankin paved the way for so many of us. I hope this book moves you as it did me. It reminds us all to keep standing up, speaking out, and never give up the fight for our rights." --Olivia Troye, Former National Security Official; Strategy, Policy & Operations Executive; and Media Commentator.

"A vivid, compelling portrait of a remarkable woman who reminds us that social and political change is grounded in community... Every generation needs its Jeannette Rankin. And generations to come need books like Winning the Earthquake that tell their story." --Cynthia Richie Terrell, RepresentWomen Executive Director and Founder

"Many of us know the name Jeannette Rankin, but it was a deep pleasure for me to learn about her humanity, her wisdom, and her remarkable courage. Congresswoman Rankin opened the door to leadership for the other half of our Americans." --Don Beyer, Member of Congress.

Praise for Lorissa Rinehart and First to the Front:

"An extraordinary story....Reads like a Hollywood movie." --The Wall Street Journal

"Jam-packed with colorful details and incisive character sketches, this is a vivid reappraisal of a pioneering journalist." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Unforgettable....A valuable, long-overdue tribute to an American woman whose work and commitment to human rights is more relevant than ever." --BookPage (starred review)

"Compelling and detailed...a thrilling adventure story." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Remarkable." --The Christian Science Monitor

"Thanks to Lorissa Rinehart's detailed and heartfelt biography, we now know about the fascinating life of the photojournalist known as Dickey Chapelle....Readers will be pulled into this book and won't want to be let go."
--Tom Clavin, New York Times bestselling author of Lightning Down