Lorissa Rinehart is a celebrated women’s historian, author, and public speaker.

Her writing explores the powerful intersections of women’s history, politics, war, and peace.

Her latest  book, Winning The Earthquake: How Jeannette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become America’s First Congresswoman was called “An illuminating biography,” by Publishers Weekly and “Gripping from start to finish,” by acclaimed historian Clara Bingham, Winning The Earthquake is the first authoritative biography of this trailblazing female politician in American history.

Her debut book, First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent (St. Martin’s Press), received rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, among numerous other publications.

Through her weekly newsletter and podcast, The Female Body Politic, Lorissa offers insightful analysis of contemporary events, drawing on 250 years of women’s engagement in American politics.

She is also the co-founder of The Santa Barbara Literary Festival, a two day celebration of writers, readers, and storytellers launching May 2026.