Margaret Sanger autographed by the author, Miriam Reed

Margaret Sanger (1879–1966)
Nurse, Birth Control Advocate
As a public health nurse in New York, Sanger anguished over the dismal lives of women burdened with unwanted pregnancies. In 1914, she began work to legalize birth control. In 1916, she opened the first family-planning clinic. In 1921, she founded the American Birth Control League, which became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1942. Sanger overcame government opposition, legal battles, voluntary exile, and a jail sentence to aid women.

Paper, 396 pages