Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

The book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, written by Jennifer Chiaverini, is based is based on an actual person. Elizabeth Keckley was born into slavery. She worked hard to finance the freedom of herself and her son. Now she has a dress making business in Washington, D.C. while her son is in college in Ohio. One of her customers is Varina Davis. When Abraham Lincoln is elected to be the president, Mrs. Mary Lincoln inquires to have dresses made by Elizabeth. Soon all of  Mary's dresses are made by Elizabeth and Elizabeth comes to the White House to help her dress before events. Elizabeth becomes familiar with the entire Lincoln family. She is there when their son dies. She helps Mary deal with her grief. After the President is assonated, she helps Mary make plans for her family. Many times Elizabeth puts Mary's need ahead of her own and ahead of her business. Later in life Elizabeth wrote a book detailing her life as a slave, as a dress maker and as Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker. This is one of the better historical fictions books that I have read.