Janet Whitney

The story of Abigail Adams and those she loved, this biography is filled with quotes from her personal correspondence and journals. The author masterfully weaves them in so that it truly feels as if Abigail is giving her perspective. She was quite a woman! The love expressed between herself and her husband John is amazing. They really knew how to write a love letter. He respected her as an equal, though he laughed at the thought of women having the same rights as men when she brought it up show more to him. She lived in what I would call perfect feminism. Outspoken, working hard to run the home, on her own for much of the first 12 years of marriage, yet totally in love with her husband. She supported him unreservedly and he depended on her thoughts and opinions to help him clarify his own. She maintained a gentle spoken manner and quietness in public, but never hesitated to speak forthrightly when spoken to. She even confronted Thomas Jefferson in a very respectful manner about his underhanded pettiness towards her husband and son. I enjoyed this book tremendously for its information about history and the lively way it illuminated those characters who shaped the history of America. show less

This is one of the best biographies of Abigail Adams you will find. Full of rich detail and personal quotes, Whitney takes the reader into the life of this remarkable woman and the world she lived in. If you are interested in this era of American History, First Ladies or Great American Women, this is the book for you!

Elizabeth Fry, Quaker women, Quaker history, biography, prison reform, 19th century

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