Synopses & Reviews
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the extraordinary friendship between Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, a former slave who won her freedom by the skill of her needle, and the friendship of the First Lady by her devotion. In Mrs. Lincolnandrsquo;s Dressmaker, novelist Jennifer Chiaverini presents a stunning account of the friendship that blossomed between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress, Elizabeth andldquo;Lizzieandrdquo; Keckley, a former slave who gained her professional reputation in Washington, D.C. by outfitting the cityandrsquo;s elite. Keckley made history by sewing for First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln within the White House, a trusted witness to many private moments between the President and his wife, two of the most compelling figures in American history.
and#160;
In March 1861, Mrs. Lincoln chose Keckley from among a number of applicants to be her personal andldquo;modiste,andrdquo; responsible not only for creating the First Ladyandrsquo;s gowns, but also for dressing Mrs. Lincoln in the beautiful attire Keckley had fashioned. The relationship between the two women quickly evolved, as Keckley was drawn into the intimate life of the Lincoln family, supporting Mary Todd Lincoln in the loss of first her son, and then her husband to the assassination that stunned the nation and the world.
Keckley saved scraps from the dozens of gowns she made for Mrs. Lincoln, eventually piecing together a tribute known as the Mary Todd Lincoln Quilt. She also saved memories, which she fashioned into a book, Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Upon its publication, Keckleyandrsquo;s memoir created a scandal that compelled Mary Todd Lincoln to sever all ties with her, but in the decades since, Keckleyandrsquo;s story has languished in the archives. In this impeccably researched, engrossing novel, Chiaverini brings history to life in rich, moving style.
Review
andquot;Jennifer Chiaverini's strength is not only writing strong female characters, but also placing them in interesting lives and times.andquot;
Review
andquot;Fascinating . . . We seldom think beyond the battles and the generals, but the story of the home [front] is a compelling one. Although we might know how the big picture turned out, the individual stories presented here are rivetingly new.andquot;
Review
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tale.”
—Chicago Tribune .
Review
Praise for Sonoma Rose:
andquot;Chiaverini does an excellent job of describing the lush landscapes of California wine country, while simultaneously painting a touching portrait of the difficulties faced by farming families who must tend to one another, as well as the earth.andrdquo;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andldquo;Chiaverini has an impressive ability to bring a time and place alive, showcasing the effects of Prohibition on farmers in Sonoma Valley.andrdquo;
andmdash;Romantic Times Book Review
andldquo;Together the two set out to make a new future for themselves in the wine country of Sonoma Valley in Chiaverini's emotionally compelling tale.andrdquo;
andmdash;Chicago Tribune
Review
Praise for Jennifer Chiaverini:andldquo;Chiaverini has once again written an intense and beautiful bookandmdash;so much so that readers will almost hear the hollow echo of the fife and drum as they immerse themselves in every compelling page...Truly unforgettable.andrdquo;
andmdash;BookPage
andldquo;Jennifer Chiaveriniandrsquo;s strength is not only writing strong female characters, but also placing them in interesting lives and times.andrdquo;
andmdash;New York Journal of Books
Review
“History—and its colorful characters—come alive.” -
USA Today
“Required Reading . . . The story of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and Lizzie Keckley, a former slave who became Mrs. Lincolns seamstress and confidante. After the presidents assassination, Keckley created the Mary Todd Lincoln quilt and also a scandalous memoir. A new spin on the story.” --New York Post
“Jennifer Chiaverini imagines the first ladys most private affairs through the eyes of an unlikely confidante.” -Harpers Bazaar
“Chiaverini has drawn a loving portrait of a complex and gifted woman . . . Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker helps to illuminate the path on which her long and remarkable life led her.” -St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“An example of what Jennifer Chiaverini does so well in her enlightening new historical novel, Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker, occurs late in the book, when a newly widowed Mary Todd Lincoln shares a letter of condolence from Queen Victoria with her dressmaker, a former slave named Elizabeth Keckley. . . . Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker vividly imagines how the Civil War touched daily life in Washington.” --Washingtonian
“Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker is a wonderful novel that covers many topics surrounding the events of the 1860s in Washington and the following decades… Any reader interested in President Lincoln, Civil War history, or historical fiction should love this book.” -Bookreporter.com
“All the characters are brilliantly written, and readers will enjoy getting to know them. [Chiaverini] brings to life long-forgotten snapshots of Americas past with style, grace and respect.” -RT Book Reviews
“Taking readers through times of war and peace as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary woman, the author brings Civil War Washington to vivid life through her meticulously researched authentic detail. Chiaverini's characters are compelling and accurate; the reader truly feels drawn into the intimate scenes at the White House.” -Library Journal
Review
“History—and its colorful characters—come alive.” -
USA Today
“Required Reading . . . The story of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and Lizzie Keckley, a former slave who became Mrs. Lincolns seamstress and confidante. After the presidents assassination, Keckley created the Mary Todd Lincoln quilt and also a scandalous memoir. A new spin on the story.” --New York Post
“Jennifer Chiaverini imagines the first ladys most private affairs through the eyes of an unlikely confidante.” -Harpers Bazaar
“Chiaverini has drawn a loving portrait of a complex and gifted woman . . . Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker helps to illuminate the path on which her long and remarkable life led her.” -St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“An example of what Jennifer Chiaverini does so well in her enlightening new historical novel, Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker, occurs late in the book, when a newly widowed Mary Todd Lincoln shares a letter of condolence from Queen Victoria with her dressmaker, a former slave named Elizabeth Keckley. . . . Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker vividly imagines how the Civil War touched daily life in Washington.” --Washingtonian
“Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker is a wonderful novel that covers many topics surrounding the events of the 1860s in Washington and the following decades… Any reader interested in President Lincoln, Civil War history, or historical fiction should love this book.” -Bookreporter.com
“All the characters are brilliantly written, and readers will enjoy getting to know them. [Chiaverini] brings to life long-forgotten snapshots of Americas past with style, grace and respect.” -RT Book Reviews
“Taking readers through times of war and peace as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary woman, the author brings Civil War Washington to vivid life through her meticulously researched authentic detail. Chiaverini's characters are compelling and accurate; the reader truly feels drawn into the intimate scenes at the White House.” -Library Journal
Review
Praise for Jennifer Chiaverini and her Novels
“History—and its colorful characters—come alive.” -USA Today
“Jennifer Chiaverini imagines the First Ladys most private affairs through the eyes of an unlikely confidante.” -Harpers Bazaar
“Chiaverini has drawn a loving portrait of a complex and gifted woman . . . Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker helps to illuminate the path on which her long and remarkable life led her.” -St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Praise for The Spymistress
“[A] must read book . . . Author Chiaverini has a knack for finding fascinating, if unheralded, women in history — she favors the Civil War era — and shining a light on them with readable historical novels.” -New York Post
“Compelling.” -Historical Novel Society
“Jennifer Chiaverinis latest bestseller will thrill Civil War buffs and anyone who loves reading about American history and the contribution of women to the momentous events that formed this country.” -Bookreporter
Praise for Mrs. Lincolns Rival
“In addition to simply being fascinating stories, [Jennifer Chiaverinis] novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years.” -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Filled with details of the social intrigue, slights and innuendo that occurred between the two, the book will appeal to anyone who loves a novel filled with the appearance of numerous fictional accounts of and appearances by the figures who shaped America's history during the period of the Civil War." --Bookreporter
Review
Praise for MRS. GRANT AND MADAME JULE
“[Chiaverinis] depiction of the essential decency of some of our nations early leaders is a high point.”
-- Booklist
"Chiaverini's fans will love this light historical romance."
--Kirkus
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a powerful and dramatic Prohibition-era story that follows the fortunes of Rosa Diaz Barclay, a woman who plunges into the unknown for the safety of her children and the love of a good but flawed man.
As the nation grapples with the strictures of Prohibition, Rosa Barclay lives on a Southern California rye farm with her volatile husband, John, who has lately found another source of income far outside the federal purview.
Mother to eight children, Rosa mourns the loss of four who succumbed to the mysterious wasting disease that is now afflicting young Ana and Miguel. Two daughters born of another father are in perfect health. When an act of violence shatters Rosa's resolve to maintain her increasingly dangerous existence, she flees with the children and her precious heirloom quilts to the mesa where she last saw her beloved mother alive.
As a flash flood traps them in a treacherous canyon, only one man is brave-or foolhardy-enough to come to their rescue: Lars Jorgenson, Rosa's first love and the father of her healthy daughters. Together they escape to Berkeley, where a leading specialist offers their only hope of saving Ana and Miguel. Here in northern California, they create new identities to protect themselves from Rosa's vengeful husband, the police who seek her for questioning, and the gangsters Lars reported to Prohibition agents-officers representing a department often as corrupt as the Mob itself. Ever mindful that his youthful alcoholism provoked Rosa to spurn him, Lars nevertheless supports Rosa's daring plan to stake their futures on a struggling Sonoma Valley vineyard-despite the recent hardships of local winemakers whose honest labors at viticulture have, through no fault of their own, become illegal.
Synopsis
andquot;Chiaverini has once again written an intense and beautiful book-so much so that readers will almost hear the hollow echo of the fife and drum as they immerse themselves in every compelling page . . . Truly unforgettable.andquot;
-BookPage
In 1862, the men of Water's Ford, Pennsylvania, rally to President Lincoln's call while Dorothea Granger marshals her friends to andquot;wield their needles for the Union.andquot; Meanwhile, Anneke Bergstrom hides the shame she feels for her husband's pacifism; gifted writer Gerda Bergstrom takes on local Southern sympathizers in the pages of the Water's Ford Register; and Constance Wright struggles to help her husband gain entry to the Union Army-despite the color of his skin. As the women work, hope, and pray, the men they love confront loneliness, boredom, and danger on the battlefield. But the women of the sewing circle also forge a new independence that will forever alter the patchwork of life in the Elm Creek Valley.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of the Elm Creek Quilts series joins the Dutton list with a Civil War-era tale of love and sacrifice behind Union lines. With The Union Quilters, Chiaverini delivers a powerful story of a remarkable group of women coping with changing roles and the extraordinary experiences of the Civil War.
In 1862 Water's Ford, Pennsylvania, abolitionism is prevalent, even passionate, so the local men rally to answer Mr. Lincoln's call to arms. Thus the women of Elm Creek Valley's quilting bee are propelled into the unknown. Constance Wright, married to Abel, a skilled sharpshooter courageous enough to have ventured south to buy his wife's freedom from a Virginia plantation, knows well her husband's certainty that all people, enslaved and free, North and South, need colored men like him to fight for a greater purpose. Sisters-in-law Dorothea Nelson and Charlotte Granger wish safe passage for their learned husbands. Schoolmaster turned farmer Thomas carries Dorothea's Dove in the Window quilt with him. Charlotte's husband, Dr. Jonathan Granger, takes more than a doctor's bag to his post at a field hospital. Alongside the devotion of his wife, pregnant with their second child, Jonathan brings the promise he made to his unrequited love, Gerda Bergstrom: "My first letter will be to you."
Together with the other members of the circle, the women support one another through loneliness and fear, and devise an ingenious business plan to keep Water's Ford functioning. That plan may forever alter the patchwork of town life in ways that transcend even the ultimate sacrifices of war.
Synopsis
Round Robin reunites readers with the Elm Creek Quilters in this poignant and heartwarming follow-up to
The Quilter's Apprentice,
Jennifer Chiaverini's acclaimed debut novel.
"She chose green and blue for the colors of Elm Creek Manor. She chose blue for truth and green for new beginnings . . ."
The Elm Creek Quilters have begun a round robin...a quilt created by sewing concentric patchwork to a central block as it is passed around a circle of friends. Led by Sarah McClure, who came to Waterford, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Matt, a few years ago, the project is to be their gift to their beloved fellow quilter Sylvia Compson. But like the most delicate cross-stitch, their lives are held together by the most tenuous threads of happiness...and they can unravel.
As each woman confronts a personal crisis, a painful truth, or a life-changing choice, the quilt serves as a symbol of the complex and enduring bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends. In weaving together the harmonious, disparate pieces of their crazy-quilt lives, the Elm Creek Quilters come to realize that friendship is one of the most precious gifts we can give each other, and that love can strengthen understanding, lead to new beginnings, and illuminate our lives.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series continues, with a novel that celebrates one of America's most romantic and enduring traditions.
Sarah McClure arrived at Elm Creek Manor as a newlywed, never suspecting that her quilting lessons with master quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson would inspire the successful and enduring business Elm Creek Quilts, whose members have nurtured a circle of friendship spanning generations.
The Wedding Quilt opens as the wedding day of Sarah's daughter Caroline approaches. As Sarah has learned, a union celebrates not only the betrothed couple's passage into wedlock, but also the contributions of those who have made the bride and groom the unique people they are. Thus Sarah's thoughts are filled with brides of Elm Creek Manor past and present-the traditions they honored, the legacies they bequeathed, and the wedding quilts that contain their stories in every stitch.
A wedding quilt is a powerful metaphor: of sisterhood, of community, of hope for the future. The blocks in Caroline's wedding quilt will display the signatures of beloved guests. As the Elm Creek Quilters circulate amid the festive preparations with pens and fabric in hand, memories of the Manor-and of the women who have lived there, in happiness and in sorrow-spill forth, rendering a vivid pastiche of family, friendship, and love in all its varieties.
Synopsis
This newest of the Elm Creek Quilts novels continues the series with a tribute to matriarch Sylvia Compson, who surprised her fellow quilters by marrying her longtime sweetheart on a recent holiday. Eager to honor their favorite Master Quilter, the Elm Creek Quilters hasten to stitch a bridal quilt for the newlyweds. Until the time comes to unveil the surprise gift, Sylvia will be the one in the dark.
Such little white lies seem harmless enough. But the quilting retreat at Elm Creek Manor thrives on women sharing their creativity, their challenges and their dreams. Somehow, in their race to commemorate in the bridal quilt all they hold dear about Sylvia’s wisdom, skill and devotion, her fellow quilters forget to give honesty its pride of place.
Just when it seems that the women have everything to celebrate, forces conspire to threaten their happiness and prosperity. Two among them falter in their personal relationships, while another suffers financial problems. As still two others weigh the comfort of the present against dreams of a future far from Elm Creek Manor, closely guarded secrets strain the bonds of friendship with those who may be left behind.
Synopsis
Resolving to locate her mother's heirloom quilts after so many years, Sylvia Compson embarks on a cross-country investigation of antique shops, quilt museums, and other, more unexpected places, where offers of assistance are not always what they seem. And as Sylvia recovers some of the missing quilts and accepts others as lost forever, she reflects on the woman her mother was and mourns the woman she never knew.
With heartfelt honesty, The Quilter's Legacy reveals the tenuous connections that bind generations and celebrates the love that sustains them.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of the Elm Creek Quilts series joins the Dutton list with a Civil War-era tale of love and sacrifice behind Union lines. With The Union Quilters, Chiaverini delivers a powerful story of a remarkable group of women coping with changing roles and the extraordinary experiences of the Civil War.
In 1862 Water's Ford, Pennsylvania, abolitionism is prevalent, even passionate, so the local men rally to answer Mr. Lincoln's call to arms. Thus the women of Elm Creek Valley's quilting bee are propelled into the unknown. Constance Wright, married to Abel, a skilled sharpshooter courageous enough to have ventured south to buy his wife's freedom from a Virginia plantation, knows well her husband's certainty that all people, enslaved and free, North and South, need colored men like him to fight for a greater purpose. Sisters-in-law Dorothea Nelson and Charlotte Granger wish safe passage for their learned husbands. Schoolmaster turned farmer Thomas carries Dorothea's Dove in the Window quilt with him. Charlotte's husband, Dr. Jonathan Granger, takes more than a doctor's bag to his post at a field hospital. Alongside the devotion of his wife, pregnant with their second child, Jonathan brings the promise he made to his unrequited love, Gerda Bergstrom: "My first letter will be to you."
Together with the other members of the circle, the women support one another through loneliness and fear, and devise an ingenious business plan to keep Water's Ford functioning. That plan may forever alter the patchwork of town life in ways that transcend even the ultimate sacrifices of war.
Synopsis
This ninth Elm Creek Quilts novel continues the series with a tribute to matriarch Sylvia Compson, who surprised her fellow quilters by marrying her longtime sweetheart on a recent holiday. Eager to honor their favorite Master Quilter, the Elm Creek Quilters hasten to stitch a bridal quilt for the newlyweds. Until the time comes to unveil the surprise gift, Sylvia will be the one in the dark.
Such little white lies seem harmless enough. But the quilting retreat at Elm Creek Manor thrives on women sharing their creativity, their challenges and their dreams. Somehow, in their race to commemorate in the bridal quilt all they hold dear about Sylvias wisdom, skill and devotion, her fellow quilters forget to give honesty its pride of place.
Just when it seems that the women have everything to celebrate, forces conspire to threaten their happiness and prosperity. Two among them falter in their personal relationships, while another suffers financial problems. As still two others weigh the comfort of the present against dreams of a future far from Elm Creek Manor, closely guarded secrets strain the bonds of friendship with those who may be left behind.
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverinis compelling historical novel unveils the private lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln through the perspective of the First Ladys most trusted confidante and friend, her dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley.
In a life that spanned nearly a century and witnessed some of the most momentous events in American history, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was born a slave. A gifted seamstress, she earned her freedom by the skill of her needle, and won the friendship of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln by her devotion. A sweeping historical novel, Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker illuminates the extraordinary relationship the two women shared, beginning in the hallowed halls of the White House during the trials of the Civil War and enduring almost, but not quite, to the end of Mrs. Lincolns days.
Synopsis
A novel of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degass great romance from the New York Times bestselling author of My Name Is Mary Sutter The young Mary Cassatt never thought moving to Paris after the Civil War to be an artist was going to be easy, but when, after a decade of work, her submission to the Paris Salon is rejected, Marys fierce determination wavers. Her father is begging her to return to Philadelphia to find a husband before it is too late, her sister Lydia is falling mysteriously ill, and worse, Mary is beginning to doubt herself. Then one evening a friend introduces her to Edgar Degas and her life changes forever. Years later she will learn that he had begged for the introduction, but in that moment their meeting seems a miracle. So begins the defining period of her life and the most tempestuous of relationships.
In I Always Loved You, Robin Oliveira brilliantly re-creates the irresistible world of Belle Époque Paris, writing with grace and uncommon insight into the passion and foibles of the human heart.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and Mrs. Lincoln's Rival imagines the inner life of Julia Grant, beloved as a Civil War generals wife and the First Lady, yet who grappled with a profound and complex relationship with the slave who was her namesakeuntil she forged a proud identity of her own.
In 1844, Missouri belle Julia Dent met dazzling horseman Lieutenant Ulysses S Grant. Four years passed before their parents permitted them to wed, and the grooms abolitionist family refused to attend the ceremony.
Since childhood, Julia owned as a slave another Julia, known as Jule. Jule guarded her mistresss closely held twin secrets: She had perilously poor vision but was gifted with prophetic sight. So it was that Jule became Julias eyes to the world.
And what a world it was, marked by gathering clouds of war. The Grants vowed never to be separated, but as Ulysses rose through the ranksbecoming general in chief of the Union Armyso did the stakes of their pact. During the war, Julia would travel, often in the company of Jule and the four Grant children, facing unreliable transportation and certain danger to be at her husbands side.
Yet Julia and Jule saw two different wars. While Julia spoke out for womenUnion and Confederateshe continued to hold Jule as a slave behind Union lines. Upon the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Jule claimed her freedom and rose to prominence as a businesswoman in her own right, taking the honorary title Madame. The two womens paths continued to cross throughout the Grants White House years in Washington, DC, and later in New York City, the site of Grants Tomb.
Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule is the first novel to chronicle this singular relationship, bound by sight and shadow.
About the Author
JENNIFER CHIAVERINIand#160;is the author of the New York Times bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as five collections of quilt projects inspired by the novels. Her original quilt designs have been featured in Country Woman, Quiltmaker, and Quilt, and her short stories have appeared in Quiltmaker and Quilters Newsletter. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.