THE VOTE: A NOVEL The Vote is the story of three women at the center of the final battle of the almost forgotten struggle for women's right to vote. In the early summer of 1918 when American men are fighting in Europe Kate Brennan is in a cab on the way to Washington's Union station. She has just graduated from college and dreads the expectations that wait for her at home. As the cab passes the White House, she sees a line of women who look to be her age standing along the wrought iron fence. Heads high, shoulders back, they hold banners that read, "How Long Must Women Wait for Liberty, Mr. President?" A surly crowd is gathered nearby. Yet the women seem oblivious to the lurking danger of the taunts. Kate recalls newspaper photos of other picketers being hauled off to jail by the police. But today she can see only three White House guards. The mob suddenly surges forward. Rocks are hurled. When the guards do nothing and Kate dashes across the street to help, her life instantly changes forever. Reminiscent of Barbara Kingsolver's acclaimed The Poisonwood Bible, The Vote is seen through the eyes and ears and hearts of the novice—Kate Brennan; the veteran of the battle—Lucy Burns, and Mary Daly, a worldly-wise, first-generation Irish immigrant who has worked since she was ten. All face prison, ridicule, and the destruction of their private lives. All learn the price attached to playing the no-holds-barred game of politics as well as the true value of personal integrity and love. A new feature: Behind the Scenes! Read a conversation with Sybil about The Vote. Now on ReadingGroupGuides.com! BUY THE BOOK through Booksense (support an independent bookstore!) or Amazon. PRAISE The Rocky Mountain News names THE VOTE as one of its picks for best 2006 fiction! "Thorough research coupled with a taut story line makes THE VOTE: A NOVEL a compelling story that weaves fictional characters with the actual stalwarts of the fight for the right of women to vote."    —The Rocky Mountain News "Sybil Downing's newest historical novel, THE VOTE: A NOVEL, vividly reminds readers just how far women's rights have come in America."    —The Denver Post "THE VOTE: A NOVEL is a must read, not only for those interested in women's rights, but as a reminder to all of us how important it is to exercise the right to vote, whether you are a man or a woman, and as a reminder to take nothing for granted, as intrinsic or as natural as a right might seem."    —The Boulder Daily Camera "Downing's new novel, THE VOTE features both real and fictional characters that readers will be proud of."    —The Bloomsbury Review "The Vote offers an invaluable reminder of a long-forgotten chapter in America's civil rights history..."    —The Edge, Boston "Sybil Downing offers readers a wonderful and historically gripping tale that transcends mere fiction and brings history to life in her latest novel, THE VOTE."    —Robert Greer, author and KUVO radio reviewer "Sybil Downing brings the imaginative powers of a gifted novelist to an important period in American history, when a handful of women struggled for women's right as citizens. THE VOTE: A NOVEL is a gripping story that brings history to life in a way that reminds us why history is important. I was left with the feeling that, for a brief time, I had stepped into the past and shared the fear, danger and courage of the characters, as well as the exultation at their hard-won victory."    —Margaret Coel, New York Times best-selling author of The Drowning Man "With so many women in our world fighting for their rights at this very moment, THE VOTE: A NOVEL is a provocative reminder of just how hard—and how recently—it was that American women were fighting for their own. Sybil Downing in this captivating novel takes the reader into that early 20th century world of intrigue and valor, a world largely composed of young, idealistic women bent on becoming first class citizens. On these pages the women and their male supporters teem with life and energy. Well researched and elegantly written, this powerful narrative should be read by everyone, women and men. Once open, THE VOTE: A NOVEL is almost impossible to put down."    —Kate Lehrer, author of the acclaimed Confessions of a Bigamist