In March 1861, Mrs. Lincoln chose Elizabeth Keckley from among a number of applicants to be her personal “modiste,” responsible not only for creating the First Lady’s gowns, but also for dressing Mrs. Lincoln in the beautiful attire Keckley had fashioned. The relationship between the two women quickly evolved, as Keckley was drawn into the intimate life of the Lincoln family, supporting Mary Todd Lincoln in the loss of first her son, and then her husband to the assassination that stunned the nation and the world.
Keckley saved scraps from the dozens of gowns she made for Mrs. Lincoln, eventually piecing together a tribute known as the Mary Todd Lincoln Quilt. She also saved memories, which she fashioned into a book, Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Upon its publication, Keckley’s memoir created a scandal that compelled Mary Todd Lincoln to sever all ties with her, but in the decades since, Keckley’s story has languished in the archives. In this impeccably researched, engrossing novel, Chiaverini brings history to life in rich, moving style.
Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of the New York Times bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as five collections of quilt patterns inspired by her novels. Her original quilt designs have been featured in Country Woman, Quiltmaker, Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volumes 3-5, and Quilt, and her short stories have appeared in Quiltmaker and Quilters Newsletter. She has taught writing at Penn State and Edgewood College and designs the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster Fabrics. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
My Impressions:
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker is this month’s selection for my book club, Page Turners. So far word on the street has been mixed: some find it fascinating, others boring. I am in the first category. I knew absolutely nothing about Elizabeth Keckley and very little about Mary Todd Lincoln. What I did know about Mrs. Lincoln was rumor and innuendo — she seems to have been a very divisive force in the Lincoln presidency.
The book opens in Washington City a few months before the election of Abraham Lincoln. Rumors of secession are flying and Elizabeth Keckley, as seamstress to some of Washington’s elite ladies, hears bits and pieces of the political wrangling. Keckley is a freed slave, who bought both her and her son’s freedom. Her excellence as a seamstress provides entree into the homes and lives of the powerful, including the White House. Her unique role as modiste to Mrs. Lincoln, allows for her to become much more than a tradeswoman, she becomes part of the family. Keckley becomes a confidante and supporter that bespoke the unlikely relationship that developed between the two women. The book treats Keckley in a most favorable light. Mrs. Lincoln is treated fairly — her foibles offset by the tragic circumstances of her life. I cannot help but think that Mary Todd Lincoln’s life could have been different with modern therapy and anti-depressants.
The book follows the historical record accurately and the fictionalized parts seem natural. If you are a fan of historical fiction or have an interest in the larger than life figures of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, I recommend you read Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker.
Recommended.
(I purchased this book for my Kindle. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
To purchase Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, click on the image below.
Tags: historical fictiion, Jennifer Chiaverini
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