Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini

The story of Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker will be an unheard one for many readers. The story of Elizabeth, a freed black slave who takes pains to buy her and her son’s freedom, and then becomes a world-class seamstress, seems like a typical American rags-to-riches story. But if anyone knows the story of the Lincolns, it soon turns tragic, and Elizabeth’s fate is soon entwined for the worse (and better!) with Mrs. Lincoln. As some other reviewers have pointed out, this is one of the few novels that portrays Lincoln’s First Lady in a sympathetic and courageous light. However, there were sections a little heavy handed on the barrage of historical facts, so I would only recommend it for historical fiction fans and Lincoln buffs, of which there are many, I have no doubt.

Joy