This book details the relationship of Elizabeth Keckley, an experienced seamstress born into slavery, and the First Lady.

Rich in historical detail, wonderfully written with lovely illustrations, noting the back drop of the Civil War, this is the incredible story of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley. Both highly spirited ladies, one of wealth and the other of poverty; these two ladies met when Mary Todd Lincoln was longing to stand out and fit in high society, learned the Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave, was the dressmaker for the rich and famous of Washington, DC.

Elizabeth was a highly intelligent woman, way ahead of her time. She had one son as a product of a white man forcing himself on her. She loved that little boy and did not want him to have a life of slavery. At this time in history, blacks could seek freedom at states that proclaimed anti slavery. Elizabeth went to her master and requested to buy her freedom. His cost was $1,200, a rather steep amount of money at the time. Elizabeth was able to achieve this goal and moved to Washington, DC where she began her own dressmaking business. Very successful, she was asked to design incredibly intricate, rich in detail and cost, gowns for Mary. Mary was, of course, was chastised by the public for dressing so lavishly during the time of Civil War.

All too soon, because of Mary's demands for more and more gowns, she became the primary source of Elizabeth's income. A personality that was very high sttrung, Elizabeth spent a lot of time calming the nerves of Mary. She remained friends with Mary throughout her life.

Because of her lavish spending, when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Mary was $70, 000 in debt -- a rather high amount of money for that time period. With no way to earn an income and little support, it was Elizabeth who offered to help Mary buy trying to find clients who would purchase the gowns. Alas, it became quite a scandal and newspapers reported the folly of Mary.

Because Elizabeth increasingly designed gowns only for Mary, her source of income was greatly diminished. Still committed to Mary, she offered to obtain a writer who could help her write a book that hopefully would restore Mary's reputation. This backfired and because Elizabeth told some of the White House secrets that were not to be included in the book, but were.

Living to an old age, Elizabeth never was able to regain her clients. Mary, as many know, increasingly became emotionally irrational, and was for a period of time institutionalized.

Highly Recommended. Five Stars!

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley & Mary Todd Lincoln, by Lynda Jones, is an 80-page nonfiction book published by National Geographic. It outlines Mary's and Elizabeth's story in nine short chapters, but is richly illustrated with period photographs and drawings, albeit in black and white. It includes an index and bibliography, as well as the sources for all quotations used in the book for dialogue.

The book's design is lovely. As noted on the verso page, "The patterns behind the images on the chapter opening pages are from fabrics popular in the mid to late 1800s. Each pattern was chosen to reflect the setting and economic level of the chapter's part of the narrative [which tends to alternate between Mary and Elizabeth]. For example, the pattern on page 14 is a simple homespun pattern used to introduce Elizabeth's childhood [as a slave]. The fabric patterns become more elaborate as time progresses. Exceptions include the backgrounds on page 52, which is bunting to reflect the election theme, and on page 70, which is taken from the quilt Elizabeth made from scraps of material left over from the dresses she made for Mary Todd Lincoln [with a striking photo superimposed of Elizabeth from the 1890s]."

I'd recommend this book for anyone, adult or child, wanting to learn the basics about the relationship of these two women of history.

© Amanda Pape - 2013

[This book was borrowed from and returned to my local public library.] ( )

Readers witness Elizabeth Keckley in her many roles: from fashion designer to abolitionist to caretaker. They follow her through the Civil War, the evils of slavery, and the many challenges faced alongside the First Lady. ( )