NO ONE TOLD SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR WHAT TO DO

From childhood on, Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-2023) bucked notions of how a young woman was expected to behave.

Growing up on an Arizona ranch, young Sandra rode horses, herded cattle, and changed tires. Later, she attended the posh Radford School for Girls in Texas, where she excelled academically but often felt out of place. A school visit from Eleanor Roosevelt planted an early interest in public service, but when Sandra eventually graduated from Stanford Law School, she couldn’t find a position, despite her high grades. So she started her own law practice, volunteered, and took part in local politics. Eventually, the Arizona governor asked her to fill a vacancy on the state legislature. She later won an election for the seat, although her fellow legislators ostracized her due to her gender. After O’Connor had served as a state judge, Ronald Reagan appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981. Golden’s straightforward text focuses more on O’Connor’s education and career milestones and less on her judicial views, though the author emphasizes that she “cast the deciding vote in many important cases that helped protect civil rights, gender equality, religious freedom, and the environment.” Breckenreid’s mixed-media illustrations incorporate photorealism blended with more impressionistic scenes. Though the book lacks further reading or a bibliography, an author’s note and a glossary offer more context.

An admiring glimpse at a pioneering legal figure.