Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

By: Jennifer Chiaverini

Narrated by: Christina Moore

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the extraordinary friendship between Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, a former slave who won her freedom by the skill of her needle, and the friendship of the First Lady by her devotion.

In Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, novelist Jennifer Chiaverini presents a stunning account of the friendship that blossomed between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress, Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Keckley, a former slave who gained her professional reputation in Washington, D.C. by outfitting the city’s elite. Keckley made history by sewing for First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln within the White House, a trusted witness to many private moments between the President and his wife, two of the most compelling figures in American history.

In March 1861, Mrs. Lincoln chose 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.

©2013 Jennifer Chiaverini (P)2013 Recorded Books

Remarkable

This is a well written, historical novel based on a real person in America's history, Elizabeth Keckley, who was born a slave, and due to her diligence and grace, became dressmaker to the wealthy and powerful. The characters and events in the novel are well documented, but it is the 'fleshing out of the bones' of these facts that make it compelling.
This book reminds us that events and people in the temples of power in Washington D.C. haven't changed much: There was as much poison, corruption and games back in Lincoln's time as there is now. This also reminds us of the venom of white privilege that can alter and harm the events of history.
The book's narrator is Elizabeth Keckley herself, and she is eloquent, knowledgeable and gracious in her recounting her life. She was dressmaker primarily to Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of the president and and controversial figure herself. Even today she is blasted as being 'insane,' she was not prepared for her role in politics, nor was she emotionally prepared for the slings and arrows of misfortune. She relied on Mrs. Keckley for emotional support as a friend, but rejected her when needs arose. Mrs. Keckley's life was not easy, and even in death she was not given the respect she deserved.
The reader of this book, Christina Moore, does a wonderful voice of Mrs. Keckley, as well as the voices of Mary Todd Lincoln. and President Lincoln. She even excels with the voices of the Lincoln sons. Very well done.

Wonderful Book!

The performance is excellent, a real pleasure. I loved the unique perspective on the Lincoln family and the Civil War.

Phenomenal!

The speaker did an amazing job with the different characters. She annunciated quite well. Very easy to understand and hear. The author wrote a captivating book. Loved this book!

Great book

All Lincoln lovers should read this book. This is an enjoyable journey to the past.

Compelling

I decided to relisten to this novel after finishing Jon Meachum’s recent Lincoln biography, I highly recommend, Christina Moore is one of my favorite narrators.

Great story

The narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life! The story itself was very well written.

A Wonderful Re-Imagining of Mrs. Keckley's Life

If you could sum up Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker in three words, what would they be?

Vivid
Detailed
Fast-paced

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mrs. Lincoln was my favorite character in this story. I knew so little of her story after her husband was assassinated and she left the White House. So much of her misery was of her own making, but the disrespect with which she was treated after President Lincoln's murder was completely unnecessary. Her legacy has been much maligned by people who did not know her, or people who did know her that were jealous of her. The fact that she struggled in such a human way with her grief. . . not only of her husband's murder, but also the deaths of her two sons. . . was poignant and deeply touching. I'm not sure that I would have been able to act any differently had it been my husband and son.

Have you listened to any of Christina Moore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

n/a

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was struck by the moment in which President Lincoln addressed the crowds in the evening after the war's conclusion from the White House window. The comment that he could be shot by anyone in the crowd made me think about how accessible he was the people and how that is so different from today.

Any additional comments?

This is definitely a story based in historical documents, so if you are not interested in the details, this is not the story for you. However, I will say that so much of whether I like an audiobook is based on how well I like the performer, and you cannot go wrong with Christina Moore's characterization of people in this story. It is subtle, beautifully done, and not overwrought.

Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

Wonderful book. Enjoy from the beginning to the end. I wish I would of realized that it was a true story. I was sad when the book was completed.. seriously did not want the book to end!

An amazing personal view of Abe and Mary

Highly recommended for Lincoln enthusiasts as well as sewers and quilters. Make sure you listen to the very end! Loved it!!

Elizabeth, you idiot!

interesting in its review of Civil War.
But how could not Elizabeth have seen what a lost cause this friendship with Mrs. Lincoln was.?
Was Elizabeth an enabler?