First published 1997
Harriet Hemenway stares at the elaborate feathered hats filling Boston's fashionable shops. Beautiful plumes from exotic birds crown every stylish woman's head, but Harriet sees something different. She sees death. Her cousin Minna Hall shares her horror at this deadly trend. The two women face a troubling reality: the hat industry slaughters countless birds for their prettiest feathers, driving entire species toward extinction. But the problem runs deeper than vanishing wildlife. How can women expect to be taken seriously in their fight for voting rights when they parade around wearing dead creatures? Harriet believes the senseless killing for fashion must stop before the most beautiful birds disappear forever. She proposes a bold solution to Minna. They will form their own bird club to protect these threatened creatures. Minna embraces the idea immediately. Together, they will start an organization dedicated to saving birds from the millinery trade's appetite for feathers.
Genres: historical-fiction, feminism, conservation, birds, 19th-century, activism, fashion, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: activism, historical-fiction, social-justice
Setting: Boston
Period: 19th-century
40 pages · Paperback · Disney Pr