I had come in with the assumption that the impetus to create a "dishwashing machine" was to save time and labor, but the initial reason given was that many cups and plates were chipped and cracked during hand-washing. Beyond this, the focus is on Josephine's lifelong determination and commitment to her patented invention.

Back matter includes an author's note, a copy of the original patent, Notable Women Inventors (some with photos, e.g. Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamar, Ellen Ochoa, and Madam Walker), a timeline of fascinating inventions (Braille, the telephone, the revolving door, the traffic light, Lego, ENIAC), sources. ( )