Herstories: Twelve Generations of Women Speak, 1621- 1986 is a 75,000-word work of historical fiction in which the author's actual female ancestors provide the basis for twelve characters: mothers and daughters who create and pass down a journal of family history from generation to generation. The records of these women's lives supply the framework of names, dates, spouses, and places around which a narrative spanning 350 years was created.

The book's premise makes possible a recounting of American history from the perspectives of ordinary women whose families are central to their lives and whose gender roles place severe limitations on their participation in society. Thus a strong feminist message naturally underlies the women's chronicling of their lives in the context of history. The work is timely in that it extols our democracy by celebrating the ordinary, courageous people who formed this country. Current cultural interest in genealogy increases the novel's appeal.