Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Keckley (Author), James Olney (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 14, 1989 | Series: Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers

Part slave narrative, part memoir, and part sentimental fiction, Behind the Scenes depicts Elizabeth Keckley's years as a slave and subsequent four years in Abraham Lincoln's White House during the Civil War. As public drama privately experienced, Keckley's work presents Jefferson Davis and his wife, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and even Stephen Douglas and "Mrs. Senator Douglas" in the foreground, with the war, and slavery as the issue that precipitated it, in the background. Through the eyes of this black woman--an ex-slave, seamstress, and dressmaker--we see a wide range of historical figures and events of the antebellum South, the Washington of the Civil War years, and the final stages of the war.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The life and times of one remarkable woman encompasses Behind the Scenes. Keckley's first 30 years were spent as a slave, and the cruelties and injustices of her life are related clearly and succinctly. This enlightening memoir recounts how she was beaten and how she became a dressmaker to support her master and his family, how determined she was to purchase freedom for herself and her son, how her friends in St. Louis came to her aid, how she became Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and close friend, and her perspectives and experiences from her inside view of Lincoln's White House. Keckley emerges as a calm and confident person who speaks of a very tumultuous period of American history. Reader Ameria Jones does a superb job, reading with a clear, strong voice. The musical performances are provided by David Hab. Recommended.?Denise A. Garofalo, Mid-Hudson Lib. System, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

"Recommended" -- Library Journal --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 14, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195060849
• ISBN-13: 978-0195060843
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stepping back in time, September 27, 2000

By 

Sandra Hendrickson (Barberton, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers) (Paperback)

I was enthralled by every page of this book. I couldn't put it down and was disappointed when it ended. As I was reading the book, I felt like I was stepping back in time witnessing the ordinary, human, day-to-day life behind the historical events we studied in school.

The story was simple and yet it presented a very intimate glimpse into the genuine personalities of Abraham and Mary and the life the author shared with them. Elizabeth Keckley was not writing to impress anyone with her "insider" position in the White House, she was just sharing her story.

The stories about her life as a slave also offered the reader an opportunity to experience slavery through the eyes and heart of a slave.

How lucky we are that she wrote this book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Written!, June 5, 2003

By 

S.H.CHU (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers) (Paperback)

I got a copy of this book from a book fair not on purpose. As a non-native English learner, what strikes me is the ability of Keckley to express rich emotions in very simple words and sentences. I always like reading first person narratives, fictions or true stories, but seldom find one as captivating as this. A five-star from me and it's a pity she didn't seem
to have written other books.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One person's memior, April 25, 2005

By 

D. S. Bornus (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers) (Paperback)

This is a memior written by a woman who started life as a slave, then managed to buy her freedom, and later set up a successful living as a seamstress, eventually going to work for Mrs. Lincoln in the White House. As such, it is a bit rambling. There are two chapters about her early life as a slave, but the author knows that what is most interesting to the readers is her life in the white house, and so she skips ahead to that period, giving us her personal "insider account" of daily vignettes with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. These vignettes include an eyewitness account of Lincoln's second inauguration address, the death of Willie Lincoln, and events immediately after Lincoln's assasination. The author then goes on to describe her post-white house associations with Mrs. Lincoln, who became a personal friend, as Mrs. Lincoln deals with post-presidency debts. The book continues with an in-depth account of how Mrs. Keckley assisted Mrs. Lincoln with attempting to sell her personal effects (dresses) to raise money. This must have been of great interest to readers when the book was first published in the 1860's, but has limited appeal to modern readers.

Overall, however, the book is a very interesting glimpse into the daily life of a slave, an independent businesswoman in the 1860's, of someone who worked in the white house during the civil war, and of someone in the close confidence of the Lincolns. It is well-written and engaging.