Discussion questions for Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini

1. When you started the book, did you know that Elizabeth Keckley was a real historical figure?  How does knowing that change the way you read the events of the book?
2. What was the source of narrative tension in the first ⅔ of the book (until Lincoln was assassinated)?  What about in the last ⅓ of the book?  Did those two sections feel different to you?
3. Why do you think the author chose to title the book as though Elizabeth Keckley belonged to Mrs. Lincoln?  Did that diminish Elizabeth in your eyes?
4. Did you know much about Mary Todd Lincoln before reading this book?  How accurate do you think Chiaverini’s portrayal is?  What do you think about Mrs. Lincoln now?
5. What about Abraham Lincoln?  Did your feelings about him change at all because of this “insider’s look” at him as a person in addition to a political/historical figure?
6. Kirkus‘s reviewer said: “While the backdrop is strikingly vivid, Chiaverini’s domestic tale dawdles too often in the details of dress fittings and quilt piecings, leaving Elizabeth’s emotional terrain glimpsed but not traveled.”  while Publisher’s Weekly‘s reviewer said: “Though not without its problems (characters are insulated from the worst of the war; Lizzy is curiously passive; the pacing can be slow), Chiaverini deviates from her usual focus on quilting (found in the Elm Creek Quilts series) to create a welcome historical.”  Which review is closer to your opinion?
7. These days, an insider’s memoir like Elizabeth’s is de rigeur, but that wasn’t the case at the time.
   1. Although her intentions were good, should she have been surprised by the reaction to her book?
   2. Were you surprised at the reaction?
   3. Do you think the reaction might have been different if the memoir had been published by a white confidante?
   4. Mrs. Lincoln considered this a major breach of confidence.  Do you think she would have felt that way if the letters had not been included?  Was she right to ignore Elizabeth’s intentions and focus only on the result?

For more questions, check out the publisher’s resources.

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