Rent Behind the Scenes in the Lincoln White House: Memoirs of an African-American Seamstress

If you truly want to know a historic character's makeup, warts and all, there's nothing like a sneak peek from a houshold staff member's point of view. This memoir relates the observations of Mrs. Lincoln's personal dressmaker, formerly a slave in a southern household. Mrs. Lincoln disliked, and was suspicious of, most of the Cabinet members' wives. It is not surprising, then, that she turned to the warmth and common sense of a woman who was not her social peer. Small insights into the Lincoln family make this book a must-read for readers seeking additional information about this remarkable time in our nation's history. 7/16/07 Vicki Wood Chulock