In Unflinching Courage, former United States Senator and New York Times bestselling author Kay Bailey Hutchison brings to life the incredible stories of the resourceful and brave women who shaped the state of Texas and influenced American history.
A passionate storyteller, Senator Hutchison introduces the mothers and daughters who claimed a stake in the land when it was controlled by Spain, the wives and sisters who valiantly contributed to the Civil War effort, and ranchers and entrepreneurs who have helped Texas thrive.
Unflinching Courage: Pioneering Women Who Shaped Texas is a celebration of the strength, bravery, and spirit of these remarkable women and their accomplishments.
This collection of powerful biographies shines a light on:
- The Texas Revolution: Follow Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson and the author’s own ancestors as they endure the perilous Runaway Scrape.
- Indian Captives: Witness the harrowing and divergent fates of women like Rachel Parker Plummer and Cynthia Ann Parker, captured as a child and raised among the Comanches.
- Republic and Statehood: Explore the lives of influential figures like Jane Long, the “Mother of Texas,” and First Lady Margaret Lea Houston as they navigate the politics of a new nation.
- Trail Drives and Ranches: Ride alongside the determined women who drove cattle herds north and helped build legendary empires, including the iconic King Ranch.
- Pioneering Entrepreneurs: From Sarah Cockrell, who built 19th-century Dallas, to Oveta Culp Hobby, a 20th-century media giant, meet the women who forged cities and industries.
The only woman ever to represent Texas in the United States Senate, Kay Bailey Hutchison has been a trailblazer in the Lone Star State. Hutchison is just one of many women who have embodied what we've come to recognize as the spirit of Texas—rugged independence, fierce loyalty, and an unflappable entrepreneurial streak. In Unflinching Courage, Senator Hutchison tells the dynamic history of her home state through the lives of some of these pioneering women and their remarkable achievements, including ranchers, entrepreneurs, prospectors, stateswomen, and others who valiantly held their ground in the face of unimaginable violence and shaped the proud state into what it is today.
"Former U.S. Senator Hutchison was the first woman to represent Texas in the Senate, and she's admirably devoted her authorial career to writing women back into the historical record."
