Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 17, 2013 Beverly rated it liked it

The book opens on election day in Nov 1860, and we learn that Elizabeth, a freedwoman, came to DC earlier in the year and has earned a reputation a reputable seamstress and savvy businesswoman, who knows that many of her patrons would be leaving the city and hopes to attract the attention of the new First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln who has a taste for finery. In exchange for doing a rush order for one patron, she does get an introduction and is the winning candidate to be Mary’s personal “modiste”. The book opens on election day in Nov 1860, and we learn that Elizabeth, a freedwoman, came to DC earlier in the year and has earned a reputation a reputable seamstress and savvy businesswoman, who knows that many of her patrons would be leaving the city and hopes to attract the attention of the new First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln who has a taste for finery. In exchange for doing a rush order for one patron, she does get an introduction and is the winning candidate to be Mary’s personal “modiste”.
I learned that “modiste” is a custom dressmaker and also called “mantua-maker” and part of the position also included dressing the First Lady (including her hair) before functions.
Once Mary Todd was introduced in the book – it is her personality that takes over the book and it is her story until at the very end when it once again becomes Elizabeth’s story.
For the majority of the book, Elizabeth came across as too passive and too easily manipulated by Mary Todd. I could not reconcile this with the Elizabeth that I had already learned about – that had defied a “slaver breaker” who has hired to break her spirit, the woman who paid for her freedom and that of her son, and who had built a successfully business.
For the most of the book – the “friendship” came across as a master/servant relationship – with several times Elizabeth almost losing (and eventually losing her business) for the whims of Mary Todd.
The pacing was slow and the book seemed to meander a little too much for me to be fully engaged in the story. Too often it read almost like a clinical report.
While the author does mention the free black in DC and the vibrant community they were outspoken about providing aid to the influx of blacks coming into DC. But it was too brief a glimpse into the black life of the time for me. But those who were not aware of free black communities will be informed.
I liked the scene about Watch Service on the eve when the Emancipation Proclamation was to be effective and how anxious the blacks were to hear the final version.
This book will appeal to the author’s fans and for those readers not familiar with life in Wash DC during the Civil War and the interactions between blacks and whites during this period.
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Nov 23, 2013 Neila rated it liked it

For me, this book seemed to take forever to read. I do not have any interest in what general led what battle during the Civil War, I found myself merely skimming some parts of the book. I don't think the individual battles had much to do with the character of the dressmaker other than to give an indication of how the length of the war took a toll on many of the characters. Once I got past the description of the battles, the book became more interesting to me. I felt like I came to know Elizabeth ...more

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Oct 19, 2014 Andy Plonka rated it liked it

The author did her homework with regard to the historical facts that are available, but I never really related to any of them or liked them well enough to wish I might meet them, including Mr. Lincoln himself.

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