Letters from Dorothy : adventures in the US Foreign Service 1925-1934
"This captivating memoir-in-letters transports readers to the heart of the Great Depression, following Dorothy Forrant's extraordinary journey from a Massachusetts textile mill to the glamorous world of diplomacy. At the age of 18, Dorothy defied societal expectations and embarked on a young woman's dream of travel and independence, ascending the clerical ranks of the U.S. Foreign Service and rubbing shoulders with historical figures including Charles Lindbergh and Will Rogers. Letters from Dorothy offers a unique perspective on the tumultuous era of 1925 through 1934 via Dorothy's intimate correspondence with her aunt. In 70 letters, Dorothy chronicles her adventures in Havana, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Chefoo, and Beijing. Readers will be captivated by Dorothy's vivid descriptions of immersing herself in foreign cultures, surviving a shipwreck in the Straits of Magellan, attending diplomatic and social events, and navigating the challenges of being a career woman in a male-dominated field. . . . This collection of letters includes rare correspondence with George Messersmith (Dorothy's boss and Consul General in Buenos Aires and later American Ambassador) on the controversy he engendered in Berlin regarding a U.S. visa for Albert Einstein. It includes exceptional snippets of history, such as the U.S. Navy report with a hand-marked navigation chart from her husband-to-be, Lieut. Allan Blackledge, reporting the Japanese attack on Woosung Fort protecting Shanghai in February 1932." -- back cover
Print Book, English, 2025
First Blackledge edition
Blackledge Books, Albuquerque, NM, 2025