Notorious Victoria

The story of Victoria Woodhull, a pioneering 19th-century activist who became the first female candidate for U.S. president while advocating for women’s rights, free love, and social reform.

“A remarkable biography ... Well written and researched, this book warrants a spot on every serious American history student’s bookshelf.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

She was the first woman to run for president. She was the first woman to address the U.S. Congress and to operate a brokerage firm on Wall Street. She’s the woman Gloria Steinem called “the most controversial suffragist of them all.” So why have most people never heard of Victoria Woodhull?

In this extensively researched biography, journalist Mary Gabriel offers readers a balanced portrait of a unique and complicated woman who was years ahead of her time—and perhaps ahead of our own.

“One of the most controversial American women of the late nineteenth century springs to life in this study that leaves no stone unturned.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] deftly written biography ... of a hell-raising visionary.” —Mirabella

“A meaty slice of feminist history peppered with Victorian drama.” —Civilization