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A review by cassieannalee
Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams by Louisa Thomas
5.0
I picked up this (audio)book without having much knowledge about Louisa Adams. I've been cured.
It's full of stories about both her private life--including the number of great tragedies she suffered losing family members--and the public life she led. From Berlin, to Russia, to London, and America, Louisa rubbed elbows with all the great politicians and leaders of the time. And maybe because of the fact that she was so often surrounded by "greatness" (not only foreign leaders, but her president father-in-law and husband, and presidential nominee son), she felt her own inadequacies acutely. Some of them were only imagined and others were personal failings or weaknesses, but many of them were due to her sex and the restrictions that had been placed on her. For example, Louisa was embarrassed by her lacking education (although it was not uncommon for women of the age) and she was often sick or morose (especially at times when she was expected to be little more than ornamental). But when she was given a challenge, such as when she was forced to travel from Russia to London alone with her child during the Napoleonic War, she rose to it.
For me, the biggest takeaway was that while Louisa Adams most certainly lived a spectacular life, and while she certainly helped shape history, her beginnings were inauspicious. She was just like so many other women of her time who were expected to play a limited role in political and public life. The fact that we remember Louisa Adams is amazing, but it makes me mourn all of the other women of the era who also could have made some lasting contributions if they had been allowed.
Overall, this biography did an excellent job of exploring the nuances of Louisa's character, beliefs, and her relationship with John Quincy. Louisa really came alive for me.
It's full of stories about both her private life--including the number of great tragedies she suffered losing family members--and the public life she led. From Berlin, to Russia, to London, and America, Louisa rubbed elbows with all the great politicians and leaders of the time. And maybe because of the fact that she was so often surrounded by "greatness" (not only foreign leaders, but her president father-in-law and husband, and presidential nominee son), she felt her own inadequacies acutely. Some of them were only imagined and others were personal failings or weaknesses, but many of them were due to her sex and the restrictions that had been placed on her. For example, Louisa was embarrassed by her lacking education (although it was not uncommon for women of the age) and she was often sick or morose (especially at times when she was expected to be little more than ornamental). But when she was given a challenge, such as when she was forced to travel from Russia to London alone with her child during the Napoleonic War, she rose to it.
For me, the biggest takeaway was that while Louisa Adams most certainly lived a spectacular life, and while she certainly helped shape history, her beginnings were inauspicious. She was just like so many other women of her time who were expected to play a limited role in political and public life. The fact that we remember Louisa Adams is amazing, but it makes me mourn all of the other women of the era who also could have made some lasting contributions if they had been allowed.
Overall, this biography did an excellent job of exploring the nuances of Louisa's character, beliefs, and her relationship with John Quincy. Louisa really came alive for me.