Book Beginnings Friday: Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

Please join Rose City Reader
every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are
reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence,
impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.  Please
remember to include the title of the book and the author. 

I’m reading Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini:

On Election Day, Elizabeth Keckley hurried home from a midafternoon dress fitting to the redbrick boardinghouse on Twelfth Street where she rented two small rooms in the back.

This is Jennifer Chiaverini’s first stand-alone historical novel and it is really good so far! Best known for her Elm Creek Quilts series, this time Ms. Chiaverini writes about the dressmaker that Mrs. Lincoln used. It’s full of history – all during the time of President Lincoln’s election and the Civil War.

Have you read this? Have you read anything else about Mary Todd Lincoln? I am really intrigued by her and definitely plan on reading more about this interesting woman.

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5 Comments

  1. Sandra Nachlinger
    February 1, 2013 / 6:35 pm

    I've read many of the books from Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series and enjoyed them all, so I know I'd love this one too. Thanks for posting about it.
    Today I'm featuring LOVE AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS on my blog.

  2. Anonymous
    February 1, 2013 / 6:43 pm

    That sounds so good! I will have to add it to my wish list.

  3. Elizabeth
    February 1, 2013 / 10:58 pm

    Another book I have been wanting to read….so good.

    THANKS.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

  4. Brona
    February 2, 2013 / 12:36 am

    This would be the perfect read for me right now. Last weekend we saw the movie Lincoln starring Daniel day Lewis (superb by the way if you haven't seen it yet).

    Mrs Lincoln didn't look like an easy person to live with, so I wonder how her dressmaker found her?

  5. The Brunette Librarian
    February 4, 2013 / 3:48 pm

    I started this one over the weekend — I'm liking it but I'm ready to meet Mrs. Lincoln already 🙂

    Whatcha readin' this week @ the Brunette Librarian and Don't forget to enter to win Philippa Gregory's "Changeling"