Customer Reviews

Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Compelling portrait of the changing status of women during the 19th century in America. Elizabeth Keckly's story of coming up from slavery and enduring emotional and physical hardships is shocking in it's matter of fact presentation. Somehow, her dignity brings to sharp focus the inhumanity of slavery and clearly shows the untenable situation the mistress' of the house also had to indure. Her ultimate success as a business woman and friend of Mary Lincoln is heartwarming and natural.

Mary Lincoln's parallel story, in contrast, begins in a rich, cultivated, "safe" home, leads to a highly public "successful" match, and yet ends in maddness. The troubling effects of untreated illness and too many deaths in her life are devastating, and have forever changed my outlook on this much maligned former first lady.

To our sensibilities, she was a victim of the social and intellectual view of a "proper" woman's place in 19th century society. Lizzy's ultimate successes were hard won, but as a former slave she, ironically, was given more freedom from society's constraints than Mary. The very things that Lizzy could do that made her "respectable" would have been considered a huge step down for Mary.

I loved every moment of this book. I didn't want it to end. Its portrait of a time in our history is beautifully realized and has given me new respect for the women of the Civil War era. If you're interested in women's history, American history, or biographies this is a must have.

I was disappointed in the viewpoint of the author who seemed less interested in the relationship of the two women than in the social problems of a free Black woman who was the confidant of Mary Lincoln. I began reading the book in an attempt to understand both women and the circumstances in which their friendship occurred. The book, however, leans heavily toward Mrs. Keckley & portrays Mrs. Lincoln at her best as a spoiled White woman & at her worst as a lunatic. The final paragraph sums up the author's reasons for writing the book in a complaint that Mary is buried in the Lincoln vault with President Lincoln (where else would she have been put?)& Mrs. Keckley's unclaimed body lies in an unmarked grave..."like those of her mother, slave father and son". The book is not about Mary Lincoln or Mrs. Keckley; it is a social commentary.

I did enjoy reading "Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave." It rates a 3 out of 5 stars for me because of the lack of depth, particularly in the latter part of the book.

Like most people, all I had really heard about Mary Lincoln was that she had emotional issues and ended up being committed by her own son. This is true, and the book does a good job of relating the childhood events that warped the young Mary Todd.

Lizzy Keckly, the slave who buys her freedom and becomes Washington DC's leading "modiste", is a fascinating personage who well deserves the attention the book gives her life. I found the description of Lizzy's life in slavery to be very powerful. In particular, the passage where her master hires someone to "break her" made my stomach turn and the barbarity of slavery struck home anew.

The beginning of the book starts out strong. The chapters alternate between the lives of the two ladies. After Mary marries Lincoln, however, I feel the book loses steam. I craved more description not only of their lives but of the historic events that surrounded them. Maybe my perception of this book was hurt by having just finished David McCullough's masterful "John Adams", which is lavish in detail. Maybe there just isn't enough evidence out there about Mary and Lizzy's lives after they hit middle age. (I'm willing to buy that about Lizzy, but about Mary? It seems unlikely.) At any rate, by the time you hit the last few chapters, it seems as if the author is hurrying to finish up and I think it ends abruptly.

Superbly written biography of TWO women in history. I learned more about Mary Lincoln in this book than maybe I wanted to but she was an interesting one. Author paints two life portraits and blends them artfully. If you are a First Lady buff, civil war buff or women's history reader then you won't want to miss out on this one.

I picked up this book because my library created a display of Lincoln books for the February holiday. I have just a passing interest in the Lincoln story, but I was interested in the idea of a friendship between two women forming the basis for a book.

This is an excellent piece of research. Saying it is not readable, as some reviewers have, misses the point. This isn't The Da Vinci Code. You aren't reading for plot. If you read with the view that you're learning about a particular time period and the lives of two people on either end of the socio-economic and racial spectrums, you might slow down and enjoy the author's hard work and accomplishments.

Perhaps of most value is simply that the author has managed to pluck from obscurity a woman (Mrs. Keckley) who would otherwise be forgotten. She, in fact, says at the end of the book that her very existence had been publicly questioned at one point. The material and excerpts from the book Mrs. Keckley published are fascinating to read. Mrs. Lincoln, you can read about anywhere, so I wasn't disturbed by gaps in her story. Primary source material about slaves' day-to-day lives and the inhumanities of the institution of slavery is infinitely valuable.

I do feel, though, that perhaps the author was too generous in depicting the women's faults and failings, just because of their gender. It was a shocking lapse in judgment and lack of honor for Mrs. Keckley to publish a "tell-all" book that included even letters from Mrs. Lincoln. It's no wonder she lost customers as a seamstress to the well-born. Who would she target next, they must have wondered. And while Ms. Fleischner doesn't shy away from the unflattering aspects of Mrs. Lincoln's personality, to make so much of how the deaths of those close to her unhinged her doesn't allow for the fact that everyone of that era lost babies and children to illnesses untreatable then, had mothers who died in childbirth, lost sons in the war and were shackled by the day's oppressive institution of marriage, yet not everyone was as mentally unstable as she was. Mrs. Keckley herself is evidence of that, considering the horrors she endured as a slave and a black woman.

Skip ahead to the juicy bits, if you must, and I admit I turned over some unread pages when the names and relationships began to blur, but you'll find more reward as a reader if you keep the scholarship of the book in mind as you read. I'm so glad there are authors willing to wade through arcane historical documents to create evocative narratives of the past.

Going back and forth between biographical chapters of the two ladies for a good portion of the book left me tireless and bored. Almost rejoicing when the book finally picked up after what seemed to be an ad infinitum of the two woman's seemingly ordinary lives, nothing really there to surprise from previous knowledge of both a white and black's reality of that particular time period, I in all honestly could have done without the meticulously detailed first half of the book. On the contrary I did find that the many similarities between the two such as same birth year and rather close birthplace, both in the south to be rather ironic in conjunction with their very different social standing and contrasting, perhaps even a bit complimenting personality traits. This is possibly the only helpful information I was able to take from the first half of the book.

Fleischner does appear to know plenty on each individual, but enough's enough, I picked up the book for an interesting read about such an odd friendship between the pair.
Forcing myself to get through these lackluster chapters, the meeting and companionship of the two very different women at long last appeared! Before getting to this point of the book I would have been generous in giving the book two stars, however after their first encounter, the day before Abe Lincoln's Presidential inauguration in 1861 I actually found myself enjoying my time reading it.

Keckly, a mulatto, grew up in a harsh life of slavery, eventually independently able to buy her way out and prosper in the seamstress business. Thus being the reason, lavish and somewhat peculiar Lincoln called upon the former slave for her distinguished dress-making skills. The last chapters did seem rushed, and I was left wanting more details on the actual societal aspects of the South in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed the mentioning of how times were back then, always being captivating to me. The prices, fashions, and entertainment of Civil War times really absorbed my interest, however short-lived those parts were. The association and reference of historical people and events i.e. W.E.B Du Bois, Cassius Clay, Bleeding Kansas allowed me to relate the reading to History class, always bringing unexpected excitement to a learning student.

The brilliantly unlikely friendship between Mrs. Keckly and Mrs. Lincoln did get its justice in Jennifer Fleischner's double biography. If you have patience for dullness, and are willing to stick it out for what turns out to be a great story of two apparently opposite woman who grow together in a historic tale of true friendship, then don't hesitate to pick this book up. Three stars for getting two bios for the price of one, the book might have dragged on, but turning out rather compelling, and nicely done.

Excellent historical review. Now have a much better understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln's personality as well as a greater appreciation for the difficulties of slavery that were experienced by Elizabeth Keckly. Both were intelligent women who struggled against the limitations of their culture and upbringing.

The characters in this book and their stories are interesting at times, but the author takes far too much time imparting their stories. I am reading this book for a church cirle book review, and I am having trouble reading it. If I want a nap that day, all I need to do is pick up this book and read it a while!

Don't be put off by the negative reviews - I'm not sure what sort of "action" the reviewers who claim this is slow want -- it's a dual biography of two women who lived through one of the most fascinating (and stressful) times in American History. But it was a genteel era -- and these women weren't action figures. Still, the lives of both women were remarkable each in their own way. I am 3/4 of the way through the book and love the revealing detail (Mary chasing Abe down the street with wielding a knife, Abe's favorite reading position -- on the floor, propped up on a pillow on an overturned chair -- the book is full of odd little moments that take one off guard and bring the characters to life. On more than one occasion, I have been able to virtually lose myself in the book -- on every occasion, I have come away a little better informed about the relationship between the Lincoln's, the relationship between Lizzy Keckly and Mary Lincoln, and the painful tensions that tore at the relationships of brother on brother. I liked the book -- it may not be perfect, but at least for me, it's a wonderful read.

Haven't completed this book yet. Bought it for a book club I am in. There are eight of us in this book club, and we pick a book each month to read. I have read books I would never had read if I hadn't been in this book club. I usually read fiction, but have been stretched by this book club into reading non-fiction.

Will be glad to give you a review of the above book when I complete it. I think Mary Lincoln was misunderstood and shunned by the Washington high society. I can't imagine surviving the loss of three children and the killing of my husband.

Thank you.

Judy Henry