Ida M. Tarbell was one of the first investigative journalists. Her work as a reporter for McClure’s Magazine and her interest in taking on the unsavory business practices of John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil changed journalism and business practices both. This fiercely intelligent woman who was working in a field largely dominated by men didn’t consider being female a barrier, and perhaps that is why she did not embrace or support, as logic seems to dictate she would, the suffrage movement and its fight for women’s right to vote. For Tarbell, there was no contradiction although it’s a puzzle that author Emily Arnold McCully openly considers, and readers will, too. As McCully states in her author’s note, “Ida can still be admired, but she also has to be explained. That’s what I set out to do in this book.” The lengthy biography will have limits to its appeal but offers insight into both Tarbell herself and the times in which we live today. (Age 14 and older)

"Ida Minerva Tarbell was a pioneer among journalists. Before exposés were routine, she wrote a series of magazine articles detailing the shady business practices of John D. Rockefeller, head of the powerful conglomerate called the Standard Oil Trust. Ida's articles--and the public uproar they aroused--resulted in legislation against trusts, and in government regulation of business in general. Her work made history, beyond the history of journalism. Intelligent, curious, and determined to succeed, Ida rose to prominence, becoming known as 'the most famous woman in America,' in an era when women had few options and no rights. Her story is a panorama of American life at the turn of the twentieth century, including politics, the women's suffrage movement, the economy, big business, the role of printed periodicals in informing public opinion, the literary landscape, and important people in all these areas. At the heart of the story are Ida's turbulent, roller-coaster years at McClure's Magazine and the groundbreaking work she did there. From her childhood in oil country to her pinnacle of fame to her later years as a recognized authority on almost everything, Ida is revealed as a fascinating and complex person: quirky, opinionated, reserved, adventurous, independent--a woman making her way in a man's world."--Dust jacket.