2009 CDA Book Award Winners
The recipients are:
AWARD
Title:
Ladies of Liberty (The Women Who Shaped Our Nation)
Author:
Cokie Roberts
About
In Ladies of Liberty, bestselling author and political commentator Cokie Roberts brings to life the influential women who shaped America during its formative years. A companion to Founding Mothers, this richly researched volume draws from letters, diaries, and other primary sources to reveal the untold stories of first ladies, educators, reformers, and trailblazers. From Abigail Adams and Dolley Madison to Sacagawea and Rebecca Gratz, Roberts highlights their resilience, intellect, and impact on American society. Told with warmth and wit, Ladies of Liberty honors the vital contributions of these often-overlooked heroines and restores them to their rightful place in history.
CITATION
Title:
Who Was First?
Author:
Russell Freedman
About
In Who Was First?, Russell Freedman reexamines the long-taught myth that Christopher Columbus discovered America. With vivid storytelling and thorough research, Freedman explores compelling evidence that explorers from many lands—Vikings, Asians, Polynesians, and others—reached the Americas long before 1492. Weaving together firsthand accounts, historical legends, and modern scholarship, he reveals how early peoples already inhabited these lands and how the idea of “discovery” has evolved. Along the way, readers learn how historians and mapmakers uncover the past. This eye-opening book challenges conventional history and invites readers to explore a more inclusive and accurate view of America’s beginnings.
AWARD
Title:
Shells – A Cameo of Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Author:
Virnell Bruce
About
Shells offers an intimate, reflective portrait of Anne Morrow Lindbergh—aviator, author, wife, and seeker. Framed as a quiet conversation over tea, Anne recounts her extraordinary life: from privileged beginnings and groundbreaking flights with her husband Charles Lindbergh, to the heartbreak of their son’s kidnapping, and the solitude of widowhood. She reveals not only the public triumphs but the private complexities of their marriage—his harsh criticism, long absences, and secret life abroad. Through it all, Anne turned to writing as a source of strength and clarity. In Shells, she shares her lifelong search for authenticity, meaning, and what she called “Real Life.”