Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Keckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1993

PREFACE. I have often been asked to write my life, as those who know me know that it has been an eventful one. At last I have acceded to the importunities of my friends, and have bastily sketched some of tbe striking incidents tbat go to make up my history. My life, so full of romance, may sound like a dream to tbe matter-of-fact reader, nevertheless everything I have written is strictly true ; much has been omitted, but nothing has been exaggerated. In writing as I have done, I am well aware tbat I have invited criticism ; but before the critic judges harshly, let my explanation be carefully read and weighed. If I have portrayed the dark side of slavery, I also have painted the bright side. The good that I have said of human servitude should be thrown into the scales with the evil that I have said of it. I have kind, true-hearted friends in the South as well as in the North, and I would not wound those Southern

Table of Contents

Preface 11; CHAPTER I Where I was born 17; CHAPTER II Girlhood and its Sorrows 31; CHAPTER III How I gained my Freedom 43; CHAPTER IV In the Family of Senator Jefferson Davis 63; CHAPTER V My Introduction to Mrs Lincoln 76; CHAPTER VI Willie Lincoln's Death-bed 91; CHAPTER VII Washington in 1862-3 111; CHAPTER VIII; FACH; Candid Opinions 127; CHAPTER IX Behind the Scenes139; CHAPTER X The Second Inauguration 156; CHAPTER XI The Assassination of President Lincoln178; CHAPTER XII Mrs Lincoln leaves the White House 201; CHAPTER XIII; The Origin of the Eivalry between Mr Douglas and Mr; Lincoln223; CHAPTER XIV Old Friends 238; CHAPTER XV; The Secret History of Mrs Lincoln's Wardrobe in New York2G7; Appendix-Letters from Mrs Lincoln to Mrs Keckley 832

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

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--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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

• Hardcover: 371 pages
• Publisher: Ayer Company, Publishers, Inc. (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 040501824X
• ISBN-13: 978-0405018244
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,829,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 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.

17 of 18 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.