| Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Herbert Donald, the author of a biography of Abraham Lincoln, examines the family life of the 16th president in Lincoln at Home (Simon and Schuster, 2000). Mr. Donald's book is divided into two parts. The first is a brief account of the Lincolns' life in the White House. It shows a man who loves his family and at the same time is trying to adjust to the demands of the presidency. Mary Todd Lincoln is absorbed in her own efforts to become first lady and refurbish the White House, which at that time "had the air of a run-down, unsuccessful, third-rate hotel." After the death of their son Willie in 1862, the Lincolns grew further apart. Abraham Lincoln worked himself to exhaustion so that those who saw him thought he looked cadaverous. Mrs. Lincoln became mentally unbalanced. Mr. Donald's account is noteworthy not only because of the intriguing nature of the Lincolns' personalities, but also because it highlights how different life was in the White House 140 years ago. The second part of the book is a complete collection of all the letters written between Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. Although it sounds promising, the reader soon discovers that neither Lincoln was an especially profound letter writer, at least in their letters to each other. Their letters concern mundane matters such as money and dates of arrival, and are disappointing when compared to the rich, perceptive correspondence between President and Mrs. Adams. Still, when taken together with the first part, Lincoln at Home is a good concise picture of the personal life of the enigmatic 16th president. |
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