Jennifer Chiaverini book signing at the Racine Public Library

Bestselling author, Jennifer Chiaverini, a Wisconsin native and resident, will be signing her latest book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker in my hometown on Thursday.

From the library website:

Jennifer Chiaverini, best selling author will give a short presentation and sign her newest book, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, on January 24th, 2013 at 6:30 pm at the Racine Public Library.

Ms. 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. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, novelist Jennifer Chiaverini presents a stunning account of the friendship that blossomed between Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Keckley, a former slave who gained her professional reputation in Washington, D.C. by outfitting the city’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. In March 1861, Mrs. Lincoln chose Keckley from among a number of applicants to be her personal “modiste,” responsible not only for creating the First Lady’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.

Registration is recommended. Limit of 200 people. Call the Adult Services desk at 262.636.9217 to register.


Sponsored by the Friends of the Racine Public Library and the Boswell Book Company

I just called the library, and there are plenty of seats left. The librarian said they have room for 244, and 141 people have registered. The Racine Public Library is in a beautiful location on the shores of Lake Michigan in gorgeous downtown Racine, WI. If you have a chance to go, you really should.

Angela