JULIETA: In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson's maxim, 'we are all created equal,' how does your novel, Becoming Madam Secretary, address the modern conservative movement's emphasis on traditional gender roles and the family? Specifically, what does Frances Perkins do to combat child labor and protect immigrants in the United States?

 

STEPHANIE DRAY: On the subject of gender roles, there's been a tension in our country since before Jefferson wrote those words. Frances Perkins knew that when the Declaration of Independence was being contemplated, Abigail Adams beseeched her husband to Remember the Ladies. And that Frances' own kinswoman, Mercy Otis Warren was defying traditional gender roles with her work as a playwright and historian. Frances herself strove always to expand the opportunity of women in this country by paving a path in public service. 

It is then a historical irony that her work in combatting child labor and the exploitation of workers helped to enable a return to "traditional gender roles" in the aftermath of WWII. Without regulations, the industrial age necessitated women and even children in the workforce. The industrial machine also ground down the men with such hazardous working conditions and such unreasonable working hours that they were unable to participate in a traditional family even if they chose to. Only the upper classes could afford to live off one salary. So, by combatting child labor, protecting male and female workers against exploitation and supporting FDR's broader New Deal Vision, including a high tax rate on the wealthy, Frances and her liberal policies made it possible for many American families to aspire to the 1950s single-breadwinner model now idealized by the modern conservative movement.

 

JULIETA: Your novels, Dear Hamilton and America's First Daughter, portray women like Elizabeth Schuyler and Martha 'Patsy' Jefferson who helped shape the identity of a fledgling nation. How do their stories and remarkable influence continue to inspire your thinking in our modern, ever-evolving world?

 

STEPHANIE DRAY: The founding mothers I write about lived through extreme change, trauma and tragedy. All of them took their sorrows and poured it into public service in one way or another. And they serve to remind us that behind the men who made history were also the women making history and getting little credit for it. Their courage, their sacrifices, and their example always inspires me to look for more women just like them in the modern world.

 

JULIETA: In Ribbons of Scarlet, your heroine Sophie de Grouchy reads Voltaire and Rousseau and abhors the perceived injustices of King Louis XVI's court. Given her story, how do you see her legacy as a model for strengthening America's democracy today? Additionally, which historical heroine would you choose to continue spreading the message of the U.S. Constitution, and why?

 

STEPHANIE DRAY: Sophie de Grouchy believed that empathy was not just a virtue but the cornerstone of justice. Her insistence on aligning reason with compassion offers a model for democratic renewal today—one rooted in listening, learning, and recognizing our shared humanity. If I could choose another historical heroine to continue her mission, it might well be Frances Perkins once again. She lived Sophie's ideals, proving that empathy can survive even in the rough-and-tumble of politics.

 

JULIETA: The author Gustave Flaubert once famously asserted that a writer needs a boring life to produce a significant body of work. Considering your own life with your husband, cats, and history books, how do you feel about this idea? Do you believe a quiet, focused existence is essential to the creative process?

 

STEPHANIE DRAY: Hah! I do have a boring quiet life, so I wonder why I don't write faster. You would think I'd be more productive, but it takes me a long time to research and produce a book of quality. I'm just lucky that readers appreciate the time and effort.

 

JULIETA: Finally, what role do you believe historical fiction can play in these conflict-ridden times in the United States? How can it inspire future generations who are often preoccupied with social media and the 'here and now'?  

 

STEPHANIE DRAY: I have said it before, but I must repeat it here. Historical fiction is emphatically an exercise in empathy. It invites readers to step outside the noise of the present and into the heartbeat of another time. It reminds us that every era has wrestled with division, change, and uncertainty. But it also warns us against complacency. By walking in the shoes of those who came before us, we discover not only how far we've come, but how easily we can slip backwards. And that the fight never ends. That there are many principles that must be fought for every single day. Win or lose. Because even if we don't achieve our goals in our own lifetime, we are paving a path for others in the future to make the world a better place.