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danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
I greatly enjoyed this one. It's long, but fascinating. I feel we often reduce Abigail to a few lines or scenes or who she was in connection to her husband or son. I greatly enjoyed this book that centered on Abigail, and I'm glad I was able to get to this one.
lilnikki's review against another edition
4.0
This book challenged me in good ways. I’ve started many a biography (cough Hamilton) and didn’t feel guilty about not finishing it, but I couldn’t pick up another without feeling guilty about leaving Abigail behind.
The author does an excellent job of weaving in the words of the people in the book in and out of the narrative he has written. It never once felt like I was reading a text book or studying for a history exam. At some points I even got excited and nervous to see what happened next. (I may have not paid too close of attention during US History).
I would fully recommend this book.
The author does an excellent job of weaving in the words of the people in the book in and out of the narrative he has written. It never once felt like I was reading a text book or studying for a history exam. At some points I even got excited and nervous to see what happened next. (I may have not paid too close of attention during US History).
I would fully recommend this book.
gianaf's review against another edition
4.0
This was honestly such an insightful, entertaining read. It really went in depth about Abigail Adams's life in a way that focused on her, not on her husband, which was nice. I feel like it'd be really easy to get distracted by the man- there are more documents for him- and put everything in context of him, but Holton really lets Abigail herself shine. I also felt like it gave equal weight to every part of her life. I feel like sometimes I get to someone's 50s and there are still 300 pages left, but Holton gave a good picture of Adam's from her early 20s to the end of her life which was cool. It was written in a way that was clear and engaging while also not being too quippy or sensationalized.
Overall a good read.
Overall a good read.
life_full_ofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I was very impressed by this biography because after reading Martha Washington’s I was concerned this was going to be mostly about John Adams. Mr. Holton did a wonderful job compiling Abigail Adams’ letters so we truly get a good picture as to who she was.
It can easily be said that Mrs. Adams was the first feminist of America. Not only because of her famous letter to John in which she reminds him to “remember the women” but in the fact that she started a side hustle to bring in money for herself at a time when (a) women didn’t work outside of being a wife and (b) a time when wives owned nothing since anything they were given via inheritance went immediately to their husbands. She worked tirelessly to make a name for herself as more than just “Mrs. John Adams”.
I loved learning about her and while I didn’t like everything about her, she was one of the most influential First Ladies this country has had.
It can easily be said that Mrs. Adams was the first feminist of America. Not only because of her famous letter to John in which she reminds him to “remember the women” but in the fact that she started a side hustle to bring in money for herself at a time when (a) women didn’t work outside of being a wife and (b) a time when wives owned nothing since anything they were given via inheritance went immediately to their husbands. She worked tirelessly to make a name for herself as more than just “Mrs. John Adams”.
I loved learning about her and while I didn’t like everything about her, she was one of the most influential First Ladies this country has had.
kgormley's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not really sure why I checked this book out, but it was interesting. Learned about Abigail's life and opinions -- information the biographer gathered through her letters written to various people throughout her life. It was also interesting to get a perspective on what life was like for a woman in that time period, especially a woman married to a man in public service.
brookamimi's review against another edition
5.0
Abigail Adams was America's first feminist and all-around a super cool lady. This is a well-written biography that shows her tendency toward service and her business savvy.
eirenophile's review against another edition
4.0
This books spent more attention than I was expecting comparing itself to other account of Abigail Adams, particular with regard to her feminist cred. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it, and would definitely recommend the audiobook to anyone interested.
annabelleweberg's review against another edition
Too long and too tedious for me, didn’t keep me interested
ppanda65's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this deep dive into the life of a very important woman in American history. I did the audio and highly recommend. It included many details including that Abigail visited Providence, RI (my home state) and dined with the Brown's a very prominent family in the state of Rhode Island. She was passing through on her way to Long Island where her husband had just become the Vice President of the United States. I gave it three stars as it was long and some parts did drag a bit.