Lorissa Rinehart

More than 100 years ago, Montana sent the first woman to Congress, before women had the right to vote. Jeannette Rankin blazed a trail for suffrage and the anti-war movement. Now, a new biography of Rankin's life and legacy is hitting shelves. MTPR's Austin Amestoy visited with author Lorissa Rinehart about her book.

This mini episode of ‘The Write Question’ is actually an excerpt of a much longer conversation with Lorissa Rinehart, author of ‘Winning the Earthquake: How Jeannette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become the First Woman in Congress,’ which publishes this Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (St. Martin’s Press). Absent from this excerpt, but included in the extended conversation, is Karen Sterk, the CEO of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation.