Knopf Publishing
320 Pages
We’re five books into the John Adams portion of my Presidential Reading Project, and I can tell you already that I have a deeper appreciation for our second president. He’s definitely trending higher on my list than before I started reading about him. Granted, he’s only the second president, so I have a long way to go. First Family: Abigail & John Adams by Joseph J Ellis was one of my more favorite books that I read about Adams. As I write this review, I have the hindsight of having read all the books I had planned for this man. Maybe it’s an unfair review to do it that way, but I assure you that I keep notes as I read these books.
First Family is about the relationship between John Adams and his wife, Abigail. From their first meeting, where neither one made much of an impression on the other, to finally discovering each other, and to a life-long love affair and marriage, this book explores the impact each made on the other. Among husbands and wives, the Adamses were among the closest. Each of their personalities were perfect for the other. Abigail tempered John’s quick temper as well as helped smooth the rough edges when he felt he had been offended.
This book is part biography for the two, but mostly it’s a love story. Even during the years of the Revolution and shortly afterwards when John was away from her most of the time, Abigail stood by her husband. She kept the house running while he fought for recognition for our new republic. They continued their relationship through the writing of letters, which revealed their true feelings for each other. Even through the Puritanical restraints of the day, the passion they felt for each other shines through.
This exploration of the personal sides of two of the Founders of our country is sweet. And, yes, I consider Abigail just as much as a Founder as the traditional list we’ve been taught. She was there every step of the way, offering advice and ideas to her husband, Thomas Jefferson, and others who were able to use their voices. It is too bad that in her time, she was simply relegated to a supporting role. Abigail Adams would have made an excellent politician.
Joseph Ellis dives into the letters between John and Abigail, exposing the feelings of husband and wife, while detailing what was happening in the world around them. He puts their experiences into the atmosphere of the day rather than try to force our modern norms into an era where they would be foreign. He brings to life people from over two centuries ago to give the reader a better understanding of the struggles and dangers they faced as our nation looked the overpowering beast of Britain in the teeth and refused to back down. John and Abigail were on the front lines.
First Family focuses on two people, John and Abigail Adams. They are taken together as a team and given their own, unique voices. I found that this book was one of the most interesting ones that I read about John Adams. It was far more personal, and it gave me insight to the struggles, the desires, and the love between a husband and wife in a time that seems more magical than real sometimes. The halcyon days of a new republic weren’t that much different than our lives today. Ellis shows the human side with his treatise on John and Abigail. I would stress this book as an important one if you’re attempting to read about each president like I am. It will open your eyes to some of the other events that are covered in other biographies.
Craig Bacon can’t imagine how he’d survive without his wife. She keeps him tethered to reality and (mostly) away from those hot tempered moments.
NEXT UP: John Adams: Party of One by James Grant