Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
A powerful book that helps explain US political and presidential history. At times, the book drags a bit but pushing through those sections will be worth your time.
Louisa Adams called herself a 'nobody', even titled her memoirs 'The Adventures of a Nobody' - and yet at her death both houses of Congress adjourned, the President of the United States, heads of the departments and naval and army officers all attended her funeral, and the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House served as pallbearers. She was the daughter-in-law of one president, the wife of another. She was hardly a 'nobody'.
Yet, as Louise Thomas depicts in this sympathetic biography, Louisa Adams struggled with her self-esteem all her life, always feeling inadequate and a burden, like she belonged nowhere and to no-one. She was born in London to an American father and an English mother just as the Revolution erupted, never setting foot in her 'homeland' until after she was married. She never quite felt at home in either country, nor all the countries she lived in after her marriage to John Quincy Adams, following the path of his diplomatic career - London, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg, Washington. She never adjusted to her life as a public figure, nor could she reconcile herself to a quiet country life either. She felt ill at ease with her famous in-laws, and all too often with her own husband, once commenting to him that she could neither live with him nor without him.
Indeed, in this biography Louisa and John Quincy come across as a curious couple - an odd mix of tenderness and estrangement, distance and companionship, antagonism and dependence. They seem very much like a pair who could never quite appreciate what they had in each other until they risked losing it, drawing together in conflict and adversity, then slowly drifting apart again until the next time life intervened to bring them back to one another. Louisa could never shake the feeling that she was a consolation prize, a marriage contract John Quincy felt honour-bound to hold to - he was never emotionally available to her in the way she needed, too reserved and intellectual, and Louisa was not the great first love of John Quincy's life. Both at times regretted their marriage, and yet it lasted through fifty years and brought both of them much happiness.
Louisa was clearly a complicated and complex personality, and Louisa Thomas does a fine job of charting these inconsistencies. Louisa comes across very much as a real individual, perhaps even one ahead of her time, a woman who could never quite believe in herself and her abilities until her back was to the wall. Then she would rise to the challenge with real fire and aplomb, before promptly doubting herself and lapse into sickness and lassitude when the challenge was met. It's hard not to sympathise with her and her frustrated life - Louisa Thomas clearly does, the biographer's curse, no doubt! But it makes for an enjoyable read, and Louisa an enjoyable companion.
Yet, as Louise Thomas depicts in this sympathetic biography, Louisa Adams struggled with her self-esteem all her life, always feeling inadequate and a burden, like she belonged nowhere and to no-one. She was born in London to an American father and an English mother just as the Revolution erupted, never setting foot in her 'homeland' until after she was married. She never quite felt at home in either country, nor all the countries she lived in after her marriage to John Quincy Adams, following the path of his diplomatic career - London, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg, Washington. She never adjusted to her life as a public figure, nor could she reconcile herself to a quiet country life either. She felt ill at ease with her famous in-laws, and all too often with her own husband, once commenting to him that she could neither live with him nor without him.
Indeed, in this biography Louisa and John Quincy come across as a curious couple - an odd mix of tenderness and estrangement, distance and companionship, antagonism and dependence. They seem very much like a pair who could never quite appreciate what they had in each other until they risked losing it, drawing together in conflict and adversity, then slowly drifting apart again until the next time life intervened to bring them back to one another. Louisa could never shake the feeling that she was a consolation prize, a marriage contract John Quincy felt honour-bound to hold to - he was never emotionally available to her in the way she needed, too reserved and intellectual, and Louisa was not the great first love of John Quincy's life. Both at times regretted their marriage, and yet it lasted through fifty years and brought both of them much happiness.
Louisa was clearly a complicated and complex personality, and Louisa Thomas does a fine job of charting these inconsistencies. Louisa comes across very much as a real individual, perhaps even one ahead of her time, a woman who could never quite believe in herself and her abilities until her back was to the wall. Then she would rise to the challenge with real fire and aplomb, before promptly doubting herself and lapse into sickness and lassitude when the challenge was met. It's hard not to sympathise with her and her frustrated life - Louisa Thomas clearly does, the biographer's curse, no doubt! But it makes for an enjoyable read, and Louisa an enjoyable companion.
This is not usually the type of book I read (biographies are often very dry and boring to me). However, this read like a novel, and I loved learning about Louisa and her life--she had a full one! The narration on audiobook was very good as well.
Louisa is an excellent biography of Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, the wife of President John Quincy Adams. Louisa grew up in London, the daughter of an American merchant and his British wife. She would spend much of her married life struggling to prove herself as a true American in light of the fragility of the new republlic. John Quincy was a complicated man, devoted to his work in the executive branch of the government, more inclined to listen to his parents about his family's domestic decisions than his wife. Raised to glitter in a drawing room, Louisa complemented her dour husband with keen political skills. An able writer, Louisa eventually won the hearts of John and Abigail Adams with her newsy letters describing the behavior of key political figures in Washington. When still a young mother, Louisa went with John Quincy to serve foreign posts in Berlin, London, and St. Petersburg. A reclusive man not much interested in social niceties, John Quincy left Louisa alone often. She left St. Petersburg in a hair-raising carriage-ride to meet him in Paris in the dangerous aftermath of the Napoleonic invasion. The story of their marriage is very interesting as it shows a dance between a diffident man and an insecure woman who influence and help each other, but also reject each other's company sometimes for months at a time.
After his presidency, when serving as congressman from Massachusetts, John Quincy became a voice for the antislavery movement both in the courtroom (Amistad) and on the floor of Congress. This issue was difficult for Louisa, as her American relatives were southerners and slaveowners. She feared for his life, as death threats against him became known while his profile as an antislavist grew. Louisa's life is part of the history of the American nation and as such it reveals much about the early 19th century and the way the U.S. government worked. But what interested me the most was Louisa herself, constantly bridging the gap between her own talents and interests and the expectations of women of the time to withdraw from public life. The author, Louisa Thomas, brought Louisa Adams to life within the pages of this biography. Highly recommended.
After his presidency, when serving as congressman from Massachusetts, John Quincy became a voice for the antislavery movement both in the courtroom (Amistad) and on the floor of Congress. This issue was difficult for Louisa, as her American relatives were southerners and slaveowners. She feared for his life, as death threats against him became known while his profile as an antislavist grew. Louisa's life is part of the history of the American nation and as such it reveals much about the early 19th century and the way the U.S. government worked. But what interested me the most was Louisa herself, constantly bridging the gap between her own talents and interests and the expectations of women of the time to withdraw from public life. The author, Louisa Thomas, brought Louisa Adams to life within the pages of this biography. Highly recommended.
Louisa Johnson Adams was a very interesting woman, born on the cusp of a new age, where the old mores were passing away and new ones were still being navigated. She was Abigail Adams' daughter-in-law and grew up reading Mary Wollstonecraft. She was not the typical shrinking violet of the early 19th century.
an interesting look at an overlooked figure. Lots of first hand information from a pivotal time in american history.
Louisa Adams called herself a 'nobody', even titled her memoirs 'The Adventures of a Nobody' - and yet at her death both houses of Congress adjourned, the President of the United States, heads of the departments and naval and army officers all attended her funeral, and the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House served as pallbearers. She was the daughter-in-law of one president, the wife of another. She was hardly a 'nobody'.
Yet, as Louise Thomas depicts in this sympathetic biography, Louisa Adams struggled with her self-esteem all her life, always feeling inadequate and a burden, like she belonged nowhere and to no-one. She was born in London to an American father and an English mother just as the Revolution erupted, never setting foot in her 'homeland' until after she was married. She never quite felt at home in either country, nor all the countries she lived in after her marriage to John Quincy Adams, following the path of his diplomatic career - London, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg, Washington. She never adjusted to her life as a public figure, nor could she reconcile herself to a quiet country life either. She felt ill at ease with her famous in-laws, and all too often with her own husband, once commenting to him that she could neither live with him nor without him.
Indeed, in this biography Louisa and John Quincy come across as a curious couple - an odd mix of tenderness and estrangement, distance and companionship, antagonism and dependence. They seem very much like a pair who could never quite appreciate what they had in each other until they risked losing it, drawing together in conflict and adversity, then slowly drifting apart again until the next time life intervened to bring them back to one another. Louisa could never shake the feeling that she was a consolation prize, a marriage contract John Quincy felt honour-bound to hold to - he was never emotionally available to her in the way she needed, too reserved and intellectual, and Louisa was not the great first love of John Quincy's life. Both at times regretted their marriage, and yet it lasted through fifty years and brought both of them much happiness.
Louisa was clearly a complicated and complex personality, and Louisa Thomas does a fine job of charting these inconsistencies. Louisa comes across very much as a real individual, perhaps even one ahead of her time, a woman who could never quite believe in herself and her abilities until her back was to the wall. Then she would rise to the challenge with real fire and aplomb, before promptly doubting herself and lapse into sickness and lassitude when the challenge was met. It's hard not to sympathise with her and her frustrated life - Louisa Thomas clearly does, the biographer's curse, no doubt! But it makes for an enjoyable read, and Louisa an enjoyable companion.
Yet, as Louise Thomas depicts in this sympathetic biography, Louisa Adams struggled with her self-esteem all her life, always feeling inadequate and a burden, like she belonged nowhere and to no-one. She was born in London to an American father and an English mother just as the Revolution erupted, never setting foot in her 'homeland' until after she was married. She never quite felt at home in either country, nor all the countries she lived in after her marriage to John Quincy Adams, following the path of his diplomatic career - London, Berlin, Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg, Washington. She never adjusted to her life as a public figure, nor could she reconcile herself to a quiet country life either. She felt ill at ease with her famous in-laws, and all too often with her own husband, once commenting to him that she could neither live with him nor without him.
Indeed, in this biography Louisa and John Quincy come across as a curious couple - an odd mix of tenderness and estrangement, distance and companionship, antagonism and dependence. They seem very much like a pair who could never quite appreciate what they had in each other until they risked losing it, drawing together in conflict and adversity, then slowly drifting apart again until the next time life intervened to bring them back to one another. Louisa could never shake the feeling that she was a consolation prize, a marriage contract John Quincy felt honour-bound to hold to - he was never emotionally available to her in the way she needed, too reserved and intellectual, and Louisa was not the great first love of John Quincy's life. Both at times regretted their marriage, and yet it lasted through fifty years and brought both of them much happiness.
Louisa was clearly a complicated and complex personality, and Louisa Thomas does a fine job of charting these inconsistencies. Louisa comes across very much as a real individual, perhaps even one ahead of her time, a woman who could never quite believe in herself and her abilities until her back was to the wall. Then she would rise to the challenge with real fire and aplomb, before promptly doubting herself and lapse into sickness and lassitude when the challenge was met. It's hard not to sympathise with her and her frustrated life - Louisa Thomas clearly does, the biographer's curse, no doubt! But it makes for an enjoyable read, and Louisa an enjoyable companion.