Peers, companions, and coworkers of legendary Progressive-era figures such as Jane Addams and Sophonisba Breckenridge, Edith and Grace Abbott were near omnipresent in the great turn-of-the-century drives to understand American cities, their industrial and social economics, and their rapidly changing demographics. In her memoirs, Edith brings to life the sisters upbringing in a small town in Nebraska, their educational and work experiences, their influence on significant social-welfare legislation, and the institutions of which they were critical partsincluding Hull House and the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago."