WA Modern American History teacher Christopher Gorham will have his first book, a biography titled The Confidante, published on Feb. 21, 2023. The biography conveys the untold story of Anna Rosenberg, how she helped the United States win World War II, and how she rose to the highest position a woman ever held in the military: Assistant Secretary of Defense.

As a history teacher, Gorham seeks out opportunities to enhance the curriculum for his students, ultimately leading to the foundation for his book. Back in 2019, some of his students chose to write a research paper about Anna Rosenberg and her impact on the United States during World War II, but there were no existing books on the topic to use for research. This realization led to Gorham’s breakthrough as an author.

“When I was working with my students [and there were no books to use for research], I was thinking that someone’s got to write a book about this extraordinary woman, and why not me,” said Gorham.

With a meaningful topic and a passion for history, Gorham jumped right into the process of writing his book. He dedicated years to research through primary sources, writing several drafts, receiving edits, and making revisions to his work, all leading towards his goal of publishing a story. The majority of his research and writing took place in the Wright Library at WA, the Radcliffe Library in Harvard, and his home.

“Those were the three big places where I got comfortable [working on my book],” Gorham said.

Along the way, Gorham’s strong support system allowed for him to ultimately get his book at the stage of publication. 

“My wife Elizabeth, my agent John Rudolph, my editor Liz May, and my publicity person Ann Pryor all helped me shape my Anna Rosenberg story,” Gorham said. “Mr. [Stephen] Scully, Mr. [Adam] Ingano, Ms. [Rashmi] Kumar, Mr. [Jack] Holbrook, Ms. [Christin] Monaghan, and Ms. [Suzanne] Harde were very supportive, [as well].”

The process of writing a book and getting it on the shelves came with several obstacles for Gorham, who was forced to persevere through difficult circumstances. Due to no one writing a book about Rosenberg before, he had to solely rely on primary sources, which took a great deal of time to interpret. Gorham used photographs, letters, diaries, old newspapers, old magazines, and old video footage as research to help him produce his narrative biography. In addition, he faced a great deal of critical editing during the process.

“The most difficult part was actually my agent, because he was a very tough critic,” Gorham said. “We had some lumps [along the way] and he made me rewrite a whole new chapter. It was quite a process. But we were fortunate to secure a book deal which we were both very happy with.”

After writing his own book, Gorham has realized the importance of discovering vital figures in history who do not receive as much attention as they deserve, and incorporating them into the classroom setting for his students.

“There are a number of hidden gems like Anna Rosenberg, and my hope is that I can find time to research some of these untold stories and build them into my history curriculum,” Gorham said.

Gorham’s students have also been supportive of his book being published. In class, Gorham has shown the book’s trailer, read excerpts from the book, and had class discussions involving Rosenberg. With his biography, he hopes that Rosenberg’s story can expand off the pages of the book and into not just his, but many history classrooms.

“These narratives do not often get included in what is taught in the textbook and the Department of Education,” Gorham said. “[But] as a history teacher we tell stories, and that is something I am very proud of to share with my students.”

As his first book is soon to be published, Gorham has already set his eyes to the potential of a second book.

“I am [currently] preparing my second book proposal,” Gorham said. “We hope that the success of The Confidante really launches, [and can lead to another book being published in the future].”

Starting on Feb. 21, 2021, Gorham’s The Confidante will be published and available for purchase. The biography will be available on all platforms that sell books, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.