Book Review of
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s compelling historical novel unveils the private lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln through the perspective of the First Lady’s most trusted confidante and friend, her dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley.
In a life that spanned nearly a century and witnessed some of the most momentous events in American history, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was born a slave. A gifted seamstress, she earned her freedom by the skill of her needle, and won the friendship of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln by her devotion. A sweeping historical novel, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker illuminates the extraordinary relationship the two women shared, beginning in the hallowed halls of the White House during the trials of the Civil War and enduring almost, but not quite, to the end of Mrs. Lincoln’s days.
Lynn's Review
I have mixed feelings about this book. I will start by saying that if you enjoy historical fiction, or this author, I think you will enjoy this book. However, I struggled a little bit with it. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction. I would much rather read the true story than a story only based on true life. So it is not that this is a bad book, it just isn’t my type of book. This book was well written for historical fiction. It was a quick and easy read which was nice for a change after reading a few very serious real life books. I enjoyed the overall story enough that I bought a non fiction book about the real Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker. I am looking forward to reading it soon.