We Demand
The Suffrage Road Trip
Swedish immigrants Ingeborg Kindstedt and Maria Kindberg visit San Francisco in the summer of 1915, planning to buy a car and explore the country on their way back to their home in Rhode Island. On impulse, they offer to bring along suffragists heading to Washington DC to demand voting rights for women from Congress and the President. Soon they are plunged into a difficult and dangerous journey that pushes them to the very limits of their endurance.
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As they travel they encounter unexpected allies, and those opposed to women’s growing independence. Bad roads and harsh weather hinder their progress. Will they overcome these obstacles and arrive in DC at the appointed day and time?
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We Demand is based on a true story. It is a tribute to the grit and determination of the women who made the trip and the suffrage movement that launched them.
Book cover and illustrations by my talented daughter, Emma Leavitt of Solei Arts!!
Reviews for We Demand
"I didn’t know I needed a historical fiction about working-class lesbian suffragettes until I read this book. I absolutely loved this story. The stories of Ingeborg Kindstedt and Maria Kindberg are truly fascinating and I wish more was known about them. There’s a great section at the end where the author separates the fact from fiction. It’s such a shame that the majority of suffragettes who made history were upper class women. There are some amazing names found in this story, from prominent Union members and lawyers, to black suffragettes like Ida B. Wells. The trip to D.C. was not glamorous and Gass does a great job of showing the many indignities that suffragettes had to deal with as they worked for a better future. I would absolutely recommend this book, I can’t believe there’s not more hype around it already."
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"You did a fantastic job! As expected, your research was good and provided the base for the story. You brought to life the historical characters. These are ladies I want to meet and have tea with. I loved your insertion of humor throughout the novel. BRAVO!"
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"Dad would've approved. He said a book had to 'grab you and take you for a ride', and We Demand did just that. With all the cross current and human physical symptoms and physical difficulties of a life changing event it showed your characters in full motion in completing a very difficult 'chore'. Humanity should be proud that it produces exceptional beings to fulfill the needs to push forward. And, women are a surprising bunch. Thank you for such an inspiring book..."
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I’m a sucker for a road trip story. So much so that I’ve watched Thelma and Louise twice in a day. I love the genre because these stories are amazing, fun, and move at an amazingly light and fast clip. It’s a great venue to meet new characters and explore new parts of the world. In her new novel We Demand, Anne Gass turns the clock back over a hundred years with a cross-country road trip that reimagines the women’s suffrage movement.
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Set in 1915, We Demand follows the journey of friends Ingeborg and Maria, who plan to drive a car from San Francisco to Rhode Island. On their way home they meet suffragists who need a ride to DC. Impulsively, they invite them to tag along and start the ride of a century. Gass’s writing is whip smart and engaging, and each character’s energy and chemistry bursts through the page. Some write about history in black and white, but Gass’s attention to character has each page displayed in technicolor. We Demand is a book that will tickle your funny bone while tugging on your heart strings.
Recommended for fans of: history, women’s suffrage, road trips, comedy, and untold stories of historical women.
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- Mercedes Lake, Maine Author's Publishing Book Rep
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"...The author has a real talent at being able to place the reader as a passenger within the backseat of the car during the trip, and at times I found myself lost within the narrative and felt that I was really there feeling the wind, grit, sun, wind, and freezing temps whipping against my face. It is also very clear that the author has duly done her research, adding historical facts and events perfectly throughout the novel. This was a challenging trip, and these women were stronger and more brave then I would have been. Did it in the end win Congress over? No, not this specific trip, but it was monumental and a vitality important piece of the foundation that was created to help eventually pass the 19th amendment. An excellent book. 5/5 stars
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"We Demand: The Suffrage Road Trip by Anne Glass is a fresh look at another small piece of the suffrage movement...The bravery of these women didn’t mean much to the vote in 1916. It wasn’t until 1920, and lots of efforts by hundreds of women, that the 19th amendment passed. Nevertheless, this glimpse of a piece of the struggle adds to our understanding of the time period. This book is highly recommended for its historical value as well as its entertaining style."
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