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Dolley: A Novel
She had the president’s ear and the nation’s heart.
She’s the wife of the fourth president of the United States; a spirited charmer who adores parties, the latest French fashions, and the tender, brilliant man who is her husband. But while many love her, few suspect how complex Dolley Madison really is.
Only in the pages of her diary—as imagined by novelist Rita Mae Brown—can Dolley fully reveal herself. And there we discover the real first lady—impulsive, courageous, and wise—as she faces her harshest in 1814, the United States is once more at war with mighty Britain, and her beloved James is the most hated man in America.
From the White House receptions she gaily presides over to her wild escape from a Washington under siege, Dolley gives us a legend, made warmly human. For there has never been a first lady so tested—or one who came through the fire so brilliantly.
She’s the wife of the fourth president of the United States; a spirited charmer who adores parties, the latest French fashions, and the tender, brilliant man who is her husband. But while many love her, few suspect how complex Dolley Madison really is.
Only in the pages of her diary—as imagined by novelist Rita Mae Brown—can Dolley fully reveal herself. And there we discover the real first lady—impulsive, courageous, and wise—as she faces her harshest in 1814, the United States is once more at war with mighty Britain, and her beloved James is the most hated man in America.
From the White House receptions she gaily presides over to her wild escape from a Washington under siege, Dolley gives us a legend, made warmly human. For there has never been a first lady so tested—or one who came through the fire so brilliantly.
409 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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568 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
176 books2,238 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 21, 2018
Dolley Madison is one of my favorite historical figures, mostly because of Catherine Allgor's marvelous biography of her, so I was very excited to stumble across this novel. It contains neither lesbians nor mystery-solving cats, alas, as Rita Mae Brown's other work let me hope (seriously, how cool would that be?), but it was a solid historical novel. For me, it got a tad bogged down in the congressional dramas of the era, but I liked how Brown gestures to themes and issues that loomed large in Dolley's later life (money troubles, her rascally son, etc.). My biggest historical qualm was with how Dolley's attitudes towards slavery were represented - I think Brown, in her desire to make an admirable heroine for modern readers, made Dolley more anti-slavery than she was. Sure, she had been raised a Quaker, but she also sold off slaves after James' death, against his express wishes, and resisted selling Paul Jennings his freedom. I think a more honest accounting of Dolley's relationship with slavery would have made her a more complex and historically honest character. But overall, still an enjoyable read.
December 2, 2017
When I read this book I got the feeling that The United States went to 'hell in a hand basket' as soon as George Washington died. Most seemed to stand in front of his portrait often asking themselves what George would do during these serious times.
Too bad Dolley Madison had not been the President, instead of her indecisive gentle husband. One couldn't help but think this woman before her time would have saved many lives if she had been given a chance to lead during those times. She had a peaceful Quaker background and heart, but also a thinking, rather 'rebellious of certain dogma' soul that could get things done if the events were serious enough to demand it. She had the rare ability to negotiate and gain the trust/love of people who got to know her, even the difficult characters:).
I couldn't help but love Dolley and her eccentric headdresses. Her love for all the people she came across. Her ability to be fair in judgment and never cruel... her desire to want to free salves and treat them like family. Her parrot and cat added comedic relief, not only in her life but to me, the reader. I often felt like a friend of hers and I suppose that is why I write like one. And of course she is credited with saving George Washington's portrait from British soldiers, before they set her house on fire.
A delightful read.
Note: This is historical fiction not non-fiction so therein not all may be true. It's meant as entertainment.
Too bad Dolley Madison had not been the President, instead of her indecisive gentle husband. One couldn't help but think this woman before her time would have saved many lives if she had been given a chance to lead during those times. She had a peaceful Quaker background and heart, but also a thinking, rather 'rebellious of certain dogma' soul that could get things done if the events were serious enough to demand it. She had the rare ability to negotiate and gain the trust/love of people who got to know her, even the difficult characters:).
I couldn't help but love Dolley and her eccentric headdresses. Her love for all the people she came across. Her ability to be fair in judgment and never cruel... her desire to want to free salves and treat them like family. Her parrot and cat added comedic relief, not only in her life but to me, the reader. I often felt like a friend of hers and I suppose that is why I write like one. And of course she is credited with saving George Washington's portrait from British soldiers, before they set her house on fire.
A delightful read.
Note: This is historical fiction not non-fiction so therein not all may be true. It's meant as entertainment.
October 17, 2012
I hoped to like this one more than I did. I guess I would say that it was a little heavy on the history--which may sound strange for a novel of historical fiction--but I felt like Brown was trying too hard to get too many historical tidbits in and she sort of lost sight of the narrative at times. This, of course, is just my opinion, but I will say that it wasn't until almost the end that I was really drawn into the story.
Although I didn't find this book to be a great read in terms of fiction, I did appreciate the many points Brown made regarding political issues that we still face today. Reading this book in an election year was especially enlightening as she relates how even from the very beginning the political parties have been at such odds. After watching the debate last night between Obama and Romney and hearing the commentators talking about how they almost came to blows (which was an exaggeration) I thought about how back in Madison's day politicians literally did come to blows and often settled their disputes with a duel!
One other thing--while reading about Dolley, I was reminded of Jean Shinoda Bolen's book Urgent Message from Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World. Dolley Madison's life provides a "textbook" case of the "tend and befriend" reaction to stress as Bolen describes. I have no doubt that Dolley was right when she said, "I will always believe that if I had been able to sit the Prime Minister of England and Jemmy (James Madison) at my dinner table, this cursed war would never have happened." Where is Dolley now when we need her?
So I appreciate Brown's perspective and I'm glad I read the book because I have a new respect for Dolley Madison.
Although I didn't find this book to be a great read in terms of fiction, I did appreciate the many points Brown made regarding political issues that we still face today. Reading this book in an election year was especially enlightening as she relates how even from the very beginning the political parties have been at such odds. After watching the debate last night between Obama and Romney and hearing the commentators talking about how they almost came to blows (which was an exaggeration) I thought about how back in Madison's day politicians literally did come to blows and often settled their disputes with a duel!
One other thing--while reading about Dolley, I was reminded of Jean Shinoda Bolen's book Urgent Message from Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World. Dolley Madison's life provides a "textbook" case of the "tend and befriend" reaction to stress as Bolen describes. I have no doubt that Dolley was right when she said, "I will always believe that if I had been able to sit the Prime Minister of England and Jemmy (James Madison) at my dinner table, this cursed war would never have happened." Where is Dolley now when we need her?
So I appreciate Brown's perspective and I'm glad I read the book because I have a new respect for Dolley Madison.
January 27, 2012
I enjoyed the author's depiction of Dolley Madison. Through the fictional diary entries, I learned much about the intrigue of political parties even during the early days of our country. And the media wasn't so nice back then either - with New England newspapers hinting at an affair between her and the French minister. The book aroused such curiosity in me about the lives of men like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster that I know I will be reading more history. I recommend this novel to those who want to get more information on the War of 1812 without sloughing through boring accounts of battles. Should be more publicity since this is the 200th anniversary of start of hostilities. WSJ had an article Jan. 25, 2012, with the view from Canada.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...
May 1, 2016
Some time ago I rhapsodized about George Washington's Secret Six, calling it a history that reads like a novel. This is a novel that reads like history. As such, it is really interesting. I learned a lot about politics of 1814 and about the war and attitudes towards the government and towards other countries in that day (It REALLY seems strange to think of Great Britain as the enemy!). In addition, it is a lovely and beautifully expressed portrait of Dolley Madison.
As a novel, it is less successful.One assumes the book is moving towards the siege of Washington, but there is no other real plot line to keep up interest, and at times I got rather impatient, feeling it was dragging on. Probably a bit of cutting would have improved it. Despite that, it's worth a read.
PS Typical of Rita Mae Brown, you know it will have animal in it, including a bilingual macaw.
As a novel, it is less successful.One assumes the book is moving towards the siege of Washington, but there is no other real plot line to keep up interest, and at times I got rather impatient, feeling it was dragging on. Probably a bit of cutting would have improved it. Despite that, it's worth a read.
PS Typical of Rita Mae Brown, you know it will have animal in it, including a bilingual macaw.
November 21, 2021
I absolutely LOVED this book about Dolley Payne Madison, the wife of James Madison, our fourth President. The book was a fictionalized version of what she may have written in her diary during the War of 1812. Everyone, even her husband’s opponents, loved her and after finishing the book, I must admit, I love her now myself. The book describes her devotion to her husband, her son, Payne, her bird, Uncle Willy, and her religious upbringing. It also described her revulsion of the practice of slavery. Her servants remained devoted to her throughout her life. I found the more I learned of her, the more I want to know.
September 25, 2012
I read this for October's book group meeting. Though it is fiction, it is researched and quite interesting. I am sure that I have read other things about Dolley in the distant past, but it was fun to meet her again. I am a fan of Rita Mae Brown's detective stories, set in the horsey area of Virginia. The devotion of Dolley and James is heartwarming, as is that of her black servants. It is too bad that her only son by her first husband turned out to be a wastrel. Friends were quite supportive. A real villain of the piece was Secretary of War Armstrong. Dolley was to be admired for her efforts to get Washington rebuilt.
May 30, 2014
This is an interesting look at the life of Dolley Madison during the year 1814. It's an interesting look at a somewhat neglected section of American history. We get to see Brown's portrayal of Dolley, her husband James and a host of other people who were central to the events in and around Washington during that year.
I can't say this was fantastic but it was good. It felt a little stiff. I'm sure it's difficult to bring historical figures to life on the page and have them feel entirely real. This never quite god there but it is interesting and a worthwhile read.
I can't say this was fantastic but it was good. It felt a little stiff. I'm sure it's difficult to bring historical figures to life on the page and have them feel entirely real. This never quite god there but it is interesting and a worthwhile read.
July 21, 2015
Enjoyable
Enjoyable read about a legendary historical figure and a pivotal time in American and Washington (DC) history that generally gets minimal coverage. I enjoyed all the little oddball bits and pieces of history woven into the plot -- like the origination of gerrymandering. I certainly came away knowing more about Dolley Madison than I expected to from reading a historical novel.
Enjoyable read about a legendary historical figure and a pivotal time in American and Washington (DC) history that generally gets minimal coverage. I enjoyed all the little oddball bits and pieces of history woven into the plot -- like the origination of gerrymandering. I certainly came away knowing more about Dolley Madison than I expected to from reading a historical novel.
July 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book with its heart, humor and wit. However, I really don't know how much poetic license the author, Rita Mae Brown used in writing Dolley's journal. I wished she would have been more transparent about that process in the author's notes. Ms. Brown does write, "Nonfiction is for the facts, fiction is for the emotional truth." No matter what, this is a good story which I suppose is the highest praise a reader can give to a writer. Thank you, Rita Mae Brown!
September 22, 2008
I like RMB's historical fiction! (Can't stand her kitty-mysteries!!) This one does not disappoint. Well-researched and about an interesting time in history when lots of big future 'players' were on the stage. Not deep but not total fluff either.
December 18, 2011
I love Rita Mae Brown's writing, and this work is no exception. Very much in the same vein as _High Hearts_, which would be an excellent choice to read next if you're looking for a progression both in character and in history.
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August 12, 2011Two chapters written in two different narative styles and I gave up. The main narative was pompous and boring as hell.
June 12, 2014
I gave up on reading this book. The writing was too dry for me.
December 16, 2020
I have mixed feelings on Rita Mae Brown's Dolley. In the plus column, is that it's a fairly lighthearted work of historical fiction. Alternating between current action and dairy entries allows the story to be told from multiple angles. Certainly, there were echoes of Empire of Mud, with the references to streets so bad the British may break their ankles on the march into town, and the Congressmen gathered in, or possibly fleeing from, their boarding houses. All of which is to say, Brown has done a nice job of capturing the zeitgeist of the era.
In the minus column is that Dolley herself seemed to border occasionally on "whiny," (not a trait I've ever heard associated with her), and I wondered if the real individuals obsessed as much on Washington and Hamilton as the characters Brown created. In the balance, these are relatively minor flaws.
Certainly, this is no 1812: The War That Forged a Nation, but neither is that what Brown is looking to accomplish. If you're looking for a relatively mild, fictional account of the politics and presidency on the eve of the British laying waste to Washington, Dolley is your book. Just be forewarned: the more things change, the more they stay the same, in politics as in life...
In the minus column is that Dolley herself seemed to border occasionally on "whiny," (not a trait I've ever heard associated with her), and I wondered if the real individuals obsessed as much on Washington and Hamilton as the characters Brown created. In the balance, these are relatively minor flaws.
Certainly, this is no 1812: The War That Forged a Nation, but neither is that what Brown is looking to accomplish. If you're looking for a relatively mild, fictional account of the politics and presidency on the eve of the British laying waste to Washington, Dolley is your book. Just be forewarned: the more things change, the more they stay the same, in politics as in life...
November 13, 2018
I'm a fan of Rita Mae Brown and my favorite genera is historical fiction so when I ran across this book I jumped at the chance to own it. Additionally, the founding and establishment of the United States is one of my favorite periods so I came into this book with high hopes and I wasn't disappointed.
Brown pained a colorful yet realistic picture of life during the War of 1812. A fledgling nation. A government at odds with party vs. country. The place of women and slaves. It was a great balance. I also felt the captured the cheerful nature of what I already knew about Mrs. Dolley Madison. Her fiction made me want to know more about this powerful-in-her-own-right First Lady.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is I felt it droned on in some areas with the diary dialogue. While overall it was a great balance of Dolley's diary and what was actually occurring with various characters, some pieces just went a little long and felt like they lost their point. Still not enough to keep me from enjoying the book overall and recommending to all.
Brown pained a colorful yet realistic picture of life during the War of 1812. A fledgling nation. A government at odds with party vs. country. The place of women and slaves. It was a great balance. I also felt the captured the cheerful nature of what I already knew about Mrs. Dolley Madison. Her fiction made me want to know more about this powerful-in-her-own-right First Lady.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is I felt it droned on in some areas with the diary dialogue. While overall it was a great balance of Dolley's diary and what was actually occurring with various characters, some pieces just went a little long and felt like they lost their point. Still not enough to keep me from enjoying the book overall and recommending to all.
June 5, 2024
This book is somewhat of a departure from Rita Mae Brown's usual oeuvre; there's no murder mystery, and while the story is a fictionalized, novelized version of the facts, it's based on historical events and follows them as closely as a paucity of original source material allows. But for what it is, it's a very good story, bringing good insight into the character of Dolley Madison and to a lesser extent, James Madison and other individuals who impacted her life. As a bit of an amateur historian I saw no obvious departures from the characters and events as I've seen them in more scholarly, strictly historical works.
December 31, 2016
3.5 stars really - I went back and forth between 3 and 4. Solidly written biography of Dolley Madison, showing her as a proto feminist. A number of passages are quite relevant to today's situation. I guess my expectations were just a bit too high, it being Rita Mae Brown and all....
February 26, 2024
A story worth telling but more detail than I was expecting. I was expecting, hoping for a book of her life without it being almost exclusively about the war of 1812. I needed a different kind of Dolley book
May 13, 2019
A slow start to this book, but once the story focused more one Dolley Madison, it picked up. I really liked her diary entries.
June 30, 2019
Interesting. I enjoy historical fiction and didn’t know much about Dolley.
July 5, 2022
Great read. Historical fiction at it’s best.
July 12, 2022
I know Brown was trying to bring Dolly Madison to life, but this was just too dry for fiction.
Read
April 26, 2023A rollicking fictional look at Dolley’s life!
June 6, 2024
DNF. It wasn't bad, just not interesting enough to keep reading.
Read
March 11, 2020Not a flattering portrayal of James Madison. Does make me want to find a good book on the War of 1812. Were we really that inept, incompetent?
August 28, 2016
Well...I gave up on this one. After not picking it back up for 2+ weeks after having tossed it aside, I quit.
I really like most of Rita Mae Brown's books (x for the cat detective ones: too precious, too contrived), but this one just put me off.
Perhaps if I were more knowledgeable about Dolly and James Madison's White House years and the breadth and depth of their influence, (plus the War of 1812, which I'm woefully ignorant about), I might have stuck with this book...but to be yea, this many years away from the era, and then find myself reading long sections of contrived, imagined dialogue...I just lost trust.
I put it down after about 80-100 pages.
Not for me.
I really like most of Rita Mae Brown's books (x for the cat detective ones: too precious, too contrived), but this one just put me off.
Perhaps if I were more knowledgeable about Dolly and James Madison's White House years and the breadth and depth of their influence, (plus the War of 1812, which I'm woefully ignorant about), I might have stuck with this book...but to be yea, this many years away from the era, and then find myself reading long sections of contrived, imagined dialogue...I just lost trust.
I put it down after about 80-100 pages.
Not for me.
September 28, 2019
Rita Mae Brown did a lot of research on this book. I had read this in 1996, so this was second read through. I appreciated the book so much this time around. I really felt I knew Dooley Madison this time and learned a little about James’ Presidency. I liked the descriptions of the War of 1812 and liked the account of the battle for Washington DC. It was not a page turner but was rather insightful about Dolley. The author will be speaking at our Literary Consortium and I am looking forward to it.
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January 9, 2010Rita Mae Brown amazes me because she writes in so many genres so deftly. This book was fascinating...who remembers their high school American history lessons? And how could a regular history class bring to life the historical figures in this novel set against the attack on Washington during the War of 1812?
Brown has marshalled her considerable research to create an interesting novel with a unique portrait of a first lady who has been much ignored.
Brown has marshalled her considerable research to create an interesting novel with a unique portrait of a first lady who has been much ignored.
November 8, 2016
This book was part of a book club which has been reading about the early years of our country. This novel gave me a new awareness of the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington DC.
At times it seemed to go slow but I'm glad I stuck it out. Dolley Madison was an incredible woman during a difficult time in our history. Add to that that woman were not permitted to be a part of the political discussions.
At times it seemed to go slow but I'm glad I stuck it out. Dolley Madison was an incredible woman during a difficult time in our history. Add to that that woman were not permitted to be a part of the political discussions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews