We the Women
At your speed≈ 8½ hrs
Pages417
Audiobook≈ 14 hrs
417 pages works out to roughly 125,000 words. At an average 250 words a minute that is 8½ hrs — about a week of evenings.
How long does it take to read We the Women?
We the Women is 417 pages, or roughly 125,000 words. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:
| Your pace | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 175 | 12 hrs |
| Average | 250 | 8½ hrs |
| Fast | 400 | 5 hrs |
Estimated at about 300 words per page. Most adults read between 200 and 300 words a minute — use the reading-speed control to set your own pace and every time on the site adjusts.
Every reading time on the site updates to your pace. Page counts are an estimate, so treat the hours as a good guide, not a stopwatch.
Common questions
- How long does it take to read We the Women?
- About 8½ hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. We the Women runs 417 pages, roughly 125,000 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 12 hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 5 hrs.
- How many pages is We the Women?
- 417 pages, which is about 125,000 words and 8½ hrs of reading. Editions vary, so we take the figure two of our three sources agree on.
- Is We the Women worth reading?
- What we can tell you for certain is the cost: 417 pages and about 8½ hrs of your time, or 5 hrs if you read quickly. Whether that is worth it depends on the hours you have.
- How long is the We the Women audiobook?
- About 14 hrs, estimated from the 125,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.
From the publisher
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union “This terrific book reveals the central, though often hidden role that women have played at every stage of our country’s history.”—Doris Kearns…
Goodwin Over a decades-long, distinguished career, award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell has made it her mission to shed light on untold women’s stories. Now, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, O’Donnell focuses that passion on the American heroines who helped change the course of history. We the Women presents a fresh look at American history through the eyes of women, introducing us to inspiring patriots who demanded that the country live up to the promises made 250 years ago in the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Since the signing of that document, the pressing question from women has been: Why don’t those unalienable rights apply to us? Through extensive research and interviews, as well as historical documents and old photos, O’Donnell curates a compelling portrait of these fierce fighters for freedom. From Mary Katherine Goddard, who printed the first signed Declaration of Independence, to the Forten family women, who were active in the abolition and suffrage movements and were considered the “Black Founders” of Philadelphia, to the first women who served in the armed forces even before they had the right to vote, O’Donnell brings these extraordinary women together for the first time, and in doing so writes the American story anew.

