Remembering the Ladies

REMEMBERING THE LADIES: A CENTURY OF U.S. FIRST LADIES 1789-1889
By Ann Covell
Outskirts Press
March 31, 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4327-5402-0
324 pages
$ 18.95

Jackie Kennedy changed how our nation views First Ladies. Her natural elegance and poise created an almost magical charm that made each person believe in the government doing the right thing for every person. The sequential First Ladies have taken her example and changed it to meet the needs of the times while constantly balancing the needs of their family, their husband, the press, and their country.

This was not so though for Martha Washington through Francis Cleveland. Their situations were much different with developing the country and customs. Without the luxury of modern appliances, many of the wives were caring for a large family, their own land, and now the added responsibility of being the hostess for a new country.

In REMEMBERING THE LADIES, each chapter focuses on the positive attributes as well as the challenges. Also important, were the ladies who greatly took time from their families to meet the needs for our country and the President. Why were some successful and others were barely surviving in the Washington limelight? From numerous slavery issues, to bigamy, assassinations, snubs, suffrage, and seating charts, each left their mark on the country is even some small way.

REMEMBERING THE LADIES read as fiction even though it is obviously factual and well-researched. Each vignette tells of the background, how they met their spouse, rumors, challenges, and a general overview about each person. With twenty-two subjects, the pictures help tremendously in relating to each. Also, there is much history into each presidency from the woman’s point-of-view, especially during a war or an economic struggle..

Ann Covell lives in both the UK and Spain. She spends time writing for regional magazines and newspaper in both countries. This is her first book.

Personally, I look forward to the next book in this series.

Teri Davis May 30, 2010