A p r i l 2 0 1 8 5 7 L’Esprit de l’Escalier from top: kropic/adobe stock; file photo La Femme Franco-Américaine A national icon speaks to generations of immigrants on the move. Her mother tongue? French. By Rhea Côté Robbins M ost statues are planted sta- tionary, on their two feet, but not Ms. Liberty on Liberty Is- land in New York Harbor. She’s in motion! In David Eggers’s enlightening new book, Her Right Foot, Eggers suggests the advancement depicted in Lady Liberty’s right foot and leg is a symbol for all immi- grants on the move. Her eternal mouve- ment is a metaphor for coming to America. The Statue of Liberty (official name: Lib- erty Enlightening the World or La Liberté éclairant le monde) was a gift from France to the U.S. for the 100th anniversary of In- dependence. The statue was the brainchild of Édouard René de Laboulaye. The design was by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with the interior by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Fash- ioned in the style of Libertas, a Roman lib- erty goddess, the statue represents one of the most iconic images of the U.S. She’s a first: a Franco-American femme role model for all who come seeking the freedoms and sanc- tuary–real or fantastical–on the borrowed lands, a symbol for multiple generations of immigrants. I have to ask, is this what Bar- tholdi had in mind with his design? Beautifully illustrated by Shawn Harris, Her Right Foot tells the origin story of the stat- ue in France: the fund- raising, land purchas- ing, building, transporting, and rebuild- ing of the statue that became a beacon of hope for generations of hopeful immigrants searching for a new life. Revel in the amaz- ing fact of the statue, fashioned in motion. Notice the overlooked stepping foot–a pre- viously hidden-in-plain-sight feature of the divine Ms. Liberty. She calls out “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled mass- es yearning to breathe free.” She is on the move, coming home to where we all want to be: with those we love. As a Franco- American woman, I am proud she is on the move, torch aloft, leading the way. n RheaCôtéRobbinsistheauthorof ‘downthePlains,’and editorofHeliotrope–FrenchHeritageWomenCreate. Fun Fact: Maine summer resident Wil- liam Russell Grace was mayor of New York when Lady Liberty arrived. To see his house up here, visit portlandmonthly.com/port- mag/2014/12/high-society.