Book of the Month: July

The writing team of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamde have produced several historical fiction accounts of women during the American Revolution War era. All of them are fantastic reads including their latest book A Founding Mother. This novel is about Abigail Adams. She was the wife of President John Adams and the mother of President John Quincy Adams. 

I have read many book about this family over the years. This particular book was based upon research into Abigail's voluminous letters to her family and friends such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. The authors were able to see the largest number of her letters to date. While I already knew alot about Abigail Adams before reading this book, there is information about her life that was new to me. I am thrilled with the book.

I believe Abigail Adams was the most influential woman of that era. The relationships between her and the Washingtons and Jeffersons was complicated because her husband was frequently at odds with others. However, I wasn't aware of how intertwined their friendships were. The political differences between them only surfaced after the end of the Revolutionary War. There were many differences in opinion on how to form a new government as well as how to govern.

The book was published on May 5, 2026, just in time for the 250th Anniversary of the birth of the United States. If you aren't familiar with this lady, I highly recommend this book. It's an enjoyable read.