This book highlights 23 historical figures--some famous, some not so famous--who had a profound impact on the development and character of our nation. The underlying theme is how their faith and principles motivated them to accomplish great things.
At fifteen, Rebecca Price Janney faced-off with the editor of her local newspaper, the Phillipsburg (NJ) FREE PRESS. She wanted to write for the paper; he nearly laughed her out of the office. He dramatically pulled open a desk drawer bulging with resumes from would-be reporters. "Why should I give you a job when I have my pick of college graduates?" He gestured toward the ominous evidence with his cigar. Rebecca displayed her ace--a portfolio of published celebrity interviews she had written for a major newspaper's teen supplement. The editor put her on a two-week trial basis. By the next month, she had her own column, "The Short Stop," on the Philadelphia Phillies. At that time, she was the first female to cover the major league team.
During her senior year in high school, SEVENTEEN published her first magazine article and, in conjunction with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, named her a runner-up in their teen of the year contest for her work as a budding journalist. She has since claimed eight other writing honors including "Writer of the Year" for a Philadelphia writers conference and written hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles.
In September 1996 Horizon Books published Rebecca's best selling GREAT WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY, featuring 23 women of faith and principle whose lives impacted the nation. GREAT STORIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY came out in the summer of 1998 and went into its second printing in two weeks. GREAT LETTERS IN AMERICAN HISTORY was published in January 2000, and Rebecca's biography of Harriet Tubman (Bethany House) appeared in August, 1999.
Multnomah published her IMPOSSIBLE DREAMERS series for 8-12 year-olds in 1997. In the books, three pre-teens time-travel to solve histories' unsolved mysteries. Rebecca is also the author of the eight-book HEATHER REED MYSTERY SERIES published by Word. She has also written for dozens of newspapers and magazines and regularly contributes to other books.
Her most recent books focus on history and include Then Comes Marriage? A Cultural History of the American Family and Who Goes There? A Cultural History of Heaven and Hell from Moody Publishers, and Great Events in American History from AMG. Rebecca enjoys speaking at schools, churches, and civic organizations, as well as on radio and TV.
A graduate of Lafayette College and Princeton Theological Seminary, Rebecca received her doctorate from Biblical Theological Seminary in April 2000, having focused on the interpretation of women's roles throughout American history.
