Abigail Adams: A Biography

[ Abigail Adams ] is a pleasure to read, and Levin's rich documentation makes this the most complete biography we have on this remarkable First Lady. —Betty Boyd Caroli, author of First Ladies
Wife of one president and mother of another, Abigail Adams was an extraordinary woman living at an extraordinary time in American history. A tireless letter writer and diarist, her penetrating and often caustic impressions of most of the major persons of her day—including Ben Franklin, George and Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and King George III, among others—provide one of the best first-hand accounts of the American Revolution. This biography, researched and written over a fourteen-year period, is a fascinating portrait of a brilliant woman at the center of the founding of the American republic.
After 200 years, thanks to Ms. Levin, Abigail Adams can speak her mind to what will surely be a large audience. — The New York Times
Abigail Adams has much to say to us about her world; Phyllis Lee Levin has helped her convey this in a compelling book and has produced a close and believable portrait of the woman within. — The Washington Post
Full of wonderful, immediate dailiness, the biography . . . [presents] an altogether personal account of the events presaging and following the American Revolution, perceived by a woman with the ability to record and interpret her era for posterity with uncommon verve and wisdom. — Los Angeles Times
A biography that reads much like a diary . . . Levin's touching book presents interesting insights into the life of revolutionary America. —UPI