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Mrs. Lincoln: A Life (2009)

by Catherine Clinton(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0060760400 (ISBN13: 9780060760403)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Harper

review 1: I wanted to give this book a higher rating, but realized it wasn’t the book as much as its subject that made me want to do so. I’ve had this on my shelf for a couple of years and was inspired to pick it up after seeing the movie “Lincoln” (Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln – what’s not to love about that?) Parts of this book are really well done, but others not so, thus the 3. The author repeats herself so many times, I began to wonder if this was a new trend in biography writing. I do think the author was trying to dispel the myths and untruths about her subject, but rather than provide research to support her this, she tends to raise too many questions, rather than answer them. Or answers questions with questions. However, there is some good work in here... more, plus photos I hadn’t seen before, so if the subject is something you’re interested in, I’d say give it a try.
review 2: This is the first book Ive read on Mary Lincoln. She is probably best remembered for her unbalanced mental status versus the highly educated, politically savy woman she was. She was the Hillary Clinton of her time. Clearly disliked as First Lady, but its clear she took care of her husband to insure he ate, and took time away from the worries of the civil war. She buried 3 young sons, saw the death of her husband, and had to morn the deaths of her brothers and brother-in-law in private because they were fighting for the Confederacy. I am not so sure I would have been totally sane after all of that. Catherine Clinton writes a balanced biography clearly capturing the complex woman that was Mary Lincoln. I would also recommend her book on Harriet Tubman. less

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