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Mary Todd Lincoln #2
Mrs. Lincoln's Rival
Kate Chase Sprague was born in 1840 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the second daughter to the second wife of a devout but ambitious lawyer. Her father, Salmon P. Chase, rose to prominence in the antebellum years and was appointed secretary of the treasury in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet, while aspiring to even greater heights.
Beautiful, intelligent, regal, and entrancing, young Kate Chase stepped into the role of establishing her thrice-widowed father in Washington society and as a future presidential candidate. Her efforts were successful enough that The Washington Star declared her "the most brilliant woman of her day. None outshone her."
None, that is, but Mary Todd Lincoln. Though Mrs. Lincoln and her young rival held much in common—political acumen, love of country, and a resolute determination to help the men they loved achieve greatness—they could never be friends, for the success of one could come only at the expense of the other. When Kate Chase married William Sprague, the wealthy young governor of Rhode Island, it was widely regarded as the pinnacle of Washington society weddings. President Lincoln was in attendance. The First Lady was not.
Jennifer Chiaverini excels at chronicling the lives of extraordinary yet littleknown women through historical fiction. What she did for Elizabeth Keckley in Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and for Elizabeth Van Lew in The Spymistress she does for Kate Chase Sprague in Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival.
419 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
399 people are currently reading
4590 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Chiaverini
78 books5,224 followersJennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. She has also written seven quilt pattern books inspired by her novels. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. About her historical fiction, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, "In addition to simply being fascinating stories, these novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews
February 12, 2014
This really pains me to write this, but this book is just not enjoyable. I have read almost all of the authors previous works & thoroughly enjoyed them (The Spymistress was awesome). Yes, the book was well-written & well-researched. Unfortunately, there was no 'Rivalry' to speak of, therefore no real drama. The protagonist of the book, is a young, entitled brat who relies on her father's success to advance her social standing. So in the end, we have a daughter of a Cabinet member versus the First Lady of the USA. That is not even a competition, for goodness sake! And Kate's father was a traitorous, duplicitous, narcissist who could not even handle his own finances. And Kate's husband was a scoundrel. The only likable characters in the novel were Pres. Lincoln & Kate's sister, Nettie. Skip this, and read "The Spymistress", you will thank me later!
April 10, 2022
Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini writes about Kate Chase daughter of Lincoln cabinet member, Salmon Chase. Kate accompanied her father everywhere the political need fell plus caring for him in his home. This included entertaining and later after she married. The book was well written and represented of the time period. It spoke of President and Mrs Lincoln and Kate’s father wanting to succeed politically but never quite making it as far as he wanted to go.
July 14, 2017
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars
Well, I am glad that I gave myself a night to sleep on how I would approach this review. Combing through the reviews of other readers, I confess that they just might have stated all the the reasons this book didn't work for me. The book implies that the rivalry between Kate Chase and Mary Todd Lincoln was certainly the talk of Washington . The prologue sets us off for what I truly did feel was going to be a cat fight, but I suppose I should have been thinking about it from the perspective of a 19th century political watcher.
Well, I am glad that I gave myself a night to sleep on how I would approach this review. Combing through the reviews of other readers, I confess that they just might have stated all the the reasons this book didn't work for me. The book implies that the rivalry between Kate Chase and Mary Todd Lincoln was certainly the talk of Washington . The prologue sets us off for what I truly did feel was going to be a cat fight, but I suppose I should have been thinking about it from the perspective of a 19th century political watcher.
January 1, 2014
Kate Chase, known as the Belle of Washington in the civil war era, was as beautiful and charming as she was politically savvy. Her good humor and social graces earned her the friendship of many but Mrs. Lincoln perceived her social success as a threat. This rivalry was only one of the challenges she faced while managing her father's political career and her many suitors.
I went into this book with high expectations, having read several great reviews of the author's earlier books. I was immediately disappointed by the sparse prose and stiff dialogue. Although I could see someone living in the Civil War era speaking as formally as this book was written, combined with the third-person perspective, it left me feeling disconnected. Sometimes it seems as though the author is just trying to include all the details she could find out. She often mentions battles or people that she describes minimally and that don't add to the story.
The details she included could also be very interesting. The way people lived, the progress of the war, and the political process at the time all fascinated me. One detail of the times actually led to my biggest problem with this book. Kate feels guilty over letting a suitor kiss her. She acts completely subservient to the men in her life and is happy to devote her life to first her father's and then her husband's career. And when she ends up in an abusive relationship, she blames herself! All of this is in keeping with the times, but some indication from the author that this is unacceptable now would be necessary for me to recommend this book, especially to younger readers.
While the author mentions in the author note at the end that Kate eventually got a divorce, the book leaves her relationship story completely unresolved. The political plot is also fairly anticlimactic since we know that neither Kate's father nor her husband ever become president. At the end of the book, this left me unsure what the focus of the plot was supposed to be. Despite these negative comments, if you can accept the probably accurate but unfortunate representation of women's rights, this was a nice light read which gave an interesting glimpses of life during the Civil War. It's not the finest historical fiction I've read, but still might be worth picking up if you have an interest in the time period.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
I went into this book with high expectations, having read several great reviews of the author's earlier books. I was immediately disappointed by the sparse prose and stiff dialogue. Although I could see someone living in the Civil War era speaking as formally as this book was written, combined with the third-person perspective, it left me feeling disconnected. Sometimes it seems as though the author is just trying to include all the details she could find out. She often mentions battles or people that she describes minimally and that don't add to the story.
The details she included could also be very interesting. The way people lived, the progress of the war, and the political process at the time all fascinated me. One detail of the times actually led to my biggest problem with this book. Kate feels guilty over letting a suitor kiss her. She acts completely subservient to the men in her life and is happy to devote her life to first her father's and then her husband's career. And when she ends up in an abusive relationship, she blames herself! All of this is in keeping with the times, but some indication from the author that this is unacceptable now would be necessary for me to recommend this book, especially to younger readers.
While the author mentions in the author note at the end that Kate eventually got a divorce, the book leaves her relationship story completely unresolved. The political plot is also fairly anticlimactic since we know that neither Kate's father nor her husband ever become president. At the end of the book, this left me unsure what the focus of the plot was supposed to be. Despite these negative comments, if you can accept the probably accurate but unfortunate representation of women's rights, this was a nice light read which gave an interesting glimpses of life during the Civil War. It's not the finest historical fiction I've read, but still might be worth picking up if you have an interest in the time period.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
March 11, 2014
DNF...couldn't get past the 100 page mark. Boring...boring...ZZZZZZ
I have way too many other books waiting for me so I'm moving on.
I have way too many other books waiting for me so I'm moving on.
October 3, 2018
MRS. LINCOLN'S RIVAL
Written by Jennifer Chiaverini
(Narrated by Christina Moore)
2014; Dutton/Penguin (435 Pages)
(Audio length: 17 hours and 23 minutes)
Genre: historical fiction, american, women, politics, presidents, based on true events
Rating: ★★★★
Kate Chase Sprague is the eldest daughter of an ambitious lawyer, Salmon P. Chase who had his eye on the Presidential seat. With the death of his second wife, Kate becomes Salmon's hostess. She was at his side to attend parties and threw parties on his behalf. Kate saw herself as the First Lady as her father rose in politics. Unfortunately for Kate and Salmon, Abraham Lincoln would become President and thus putting Kate and Mary Todd Lincoln at odds.
While Kate liked Mr. Lincoln she felt snubbed by his dull wife. Mary on the other hand thought Kate was snubbing her because Kate felt she was the rightful First Lady. The two would try to outdo the other through proper social circles.
Kate then focuses on her own life and falls for an ambitious Rhode Island politician William Sprague. The two political minds seem perfect for one another or do they?
I enjoyed this novel but it is a bit overly descriptive in the day to day activities I appreciated most of the acts as I did not know too much about Lincoln's presidency or the key players. At the time I found the main character, Kate Chase, to be arrogant but she did not turn me off reading the book. Other than Lincoln and Kate's younger sister most of the characters seemed unlikeable - very flawed but realistic characters. I really enjoyed listening to this novel in audiobook format.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
Written by Jennifer Chiaverini
(Narrated by Christina Moore)
2014; Dutton/Penguin (435 Pages)
(Audio length: 17 hours and 23 minutes)
Genre: historical fiction, american, women, politics, presidents, based on true events
Rating: ★★★★
Kate Chase Sprague is the eldest daughter of an ambitious lawyer, Salmon P. Chase who had his eye on the Presidential seat. With the death of his second wife, Kate becomes Salmon's hostess. She was at his side to attend parties and threw parties on his behalf. Kate saw herself as the First Lady as her father rose in politics. Unfortunately for Kate and Salmon, Abraham Lincoln would become President and thus putting Kate and Mary Todd Lincoln at odds.
While Kate liked Mr. Lincoln she felt snubbed by his dull wife. Mary on the other hand thought Kate was snubbing her because Kate felt she was the rightful First Lady. The two would try to outdo the other through proper social circles.
Kate then focuses on her own life and falls for an ambitious Rhode Island politician William Sprague. The two political minds seem perfect for one another or do they?
I enjoyed this novel but it is a bit overly descriptive in the day to day activities I appreciated most of the acts as I did not know too much about Lincoln's presidency or the key players. At the time I found the main character, Kate Chase, to be arrogant but she did not turn me off reading the book. Other than Lincoln and Kate's younger sister most of the characters seemed unlikeable - very flawed but realistic characters. I really enjoyed listening to this novel in audiobook format.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
August 11, 2020
I knew little about Lincoln’s cabinet members before reading this book. It focuses on the life of Salmon P. Chase and his daughter, Kate during the time of the Civil War. She was by her widowed father’s side as advisor and hostess of social events while Chase was Secretary of the Treasury. It was no secret that her father aspired some day to be president, and Kate was more than willing to help his star rise. As a result, there were often tensions between Lincoln and Chase,as well as with other cabinet members. The most heated rivalry was between Mary Todd Lincoln and Kate, because “the success of one could only come at the expense of the other.”
Excellent book about prominent figures of the Civil War, and about life in Washington City in that tumultuous time. I would recommend it to all history buffs!
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 68)-“ It never ceases to amaze me,” Kate told her father, “how any reasonable person could believe that is wrong to destroy the liberties of slave-holding states and yet perfectly acceptable to destroy the liberties of human beings.”
Excellent book about prominent figures of the Civil War, and about life in Washington City in that tumultuous time. I would recommend it to all history buffs!
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 68)-“ It never ceases to amaze me,” Kate told her father, “how any reasonable person could believe that is wrong to destroy the liberties of slave-holding states and yet perfectly acceptable to destroy the liberties of human beings.”
August 11, 2019
The title of this book did not match the reading inside. The first half was not my favorite, but the second half redeemed it. An interesting book sharing history that had long been forgotten.
January 23, 2014
If indeed, as author Ms Chiaverini says, Kate Chase is truly one of the most fascinating women ever to grace the swamps of Washington, there must exist a dearth of available candidates. It is true, however, that Kate wields significant influence over her inestimable father, Salmon Chase, but she is not likable. Mrs Lincoln is not likely to win friends and influence people to a greater degree than Kate.
This fictionalized historic biography is more a recollection of Secretary of the Treasury Chase and his intimacy, both favorable and otherwise, with the president, than it is a telling of Kate's conflict with the "hellcat", Mrs Lincoln. Salmon Chase, after all, who considered himself a favorite, was defeated by Lincoln in the election of 1860, but accepted his cabinet position with the expectation that his desire for the office of chief executive would be realized in four years.
Kate's eventual marriage to William Sprague, boy governor of Rhode Island, is fraught with dysfunctional behavior. John Hays, Lincoln's secretary, is a delight, as is Kate's younger sister, Nettie, who many times surpasses Kate's perception of significance.
A strong point of the book is the accuracy of events relating to the development of the impending conflict and resulting battles of the civil war, Lincoln's handling of and Chase's view of the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and what to do about the issue of slavery. Characters, both significant and lesser, fit in precisely where they are supposed to.
Kate's courting and marriage to Sprague is a major distraction, as is the elaborate detail and description of balls, levees, and other expensive soirees entertained by the elite of Washington.
This fictionalized historic biography is more a recollection of Secretary of the Treasury Chase and his intimacy, both favorable and otherwise, with the president, than it is a telling of Kate's conflict with the "hellcat", Mrs Lincoln. Salmon Chase, after all, who considered himself a favorite, was defeated by Lincoln in the election of 1860, but accepted his cabinet position with the expectation that his desire for the office of chief executive would be realized in four years.
Kate's eventual marriage to William Sprague, boy governor of Rhode Island, is fraught with dysfunctional behavior. John Hays, Lincoln's secretary, is a delight, as is Kate's younger sister, Nettie, who many times surpasses Kate's perception of significance.
A strong point of the book is the accuracy of events relating to the development of the impending conflict and resulting battles of the civil war, Lincoln's handling of and Chase's view of the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and what to do about the issue of slavery. Characters, both significant and lesser, fit in precisely where they are supposed to.
Kate's courting and marriage to Sprague is a major distraction, as is the elaborate detail and description of balls, levees, and other expensive soirees entertained by the elite of Washington.
February 13, 2014
I won an Advance Reader's Copy of this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program. I must first say that I was thoroughly impressed with the subject matter and the level of details and research put into the novel. In my opinion, it is comparable to Antonia Fraser and Alison Weir's level of detail. The novel is about Kate Chase Sprague the daughter of Salmon P. Chase who was the Treasury Secretary for President Lincoln. It details Kate's impressive determination to assist her father in his bid for the presidency. Her father was Lincoln's rival, and as a result Kate is Mrs. Lincoln's rival. This story does not, however, focus solely on Mrs. Lincoln and her relationship with Kate, as it does Kate's relationship with politics. I found Kate rather unlikeable, and elements of "daughter knows best", such as seeing the error in her father's ways at the age of 18 extremely off-putting. I'm sure it's to give the reader the insight into her intelligence and her passion for her father's campaign, but I found those moments hard to swallow. I think it's a compliment to Chiaverini that she presented us with a character that was not only intelligent, charming, but entitled, quick tempered and stubborn. I feel that this balance to her character, while aggravating to the reader, makes her more human than most heroines. I think many of the complaints about Kate come from the fact that when we read a novel we don't always want to read about the faults that we may find in ourselves. So while Kate frustrated me to no end, I can't deny the excellent composition, giving insight to the political landscape during the American Civil War.
October 28, 2017
I discovered why I didn't care for this one very much even though I love the writing. I just didn't find the characters very likable and if I don't like a character, it's hard to like the book. I love the author and didn't have the heart to rate lower though I skimmed the middle to end.
July 8, 2017
I know this was a fictionalized account of true happenings in history, but I found that it was mostly small snippets of story around the actual history. I would have liked a bit more story and a little less name dropping and political endeavors. It just felt like a lot of history telling with a small amount of story surrounding it. Since I am Canadian, and only know of the major historical figures, I was constantly having to search Google to see what these people looked like, while this is not the author's fault, I just felt out of the story as I had to continually do this. The writing was good, I just wanted more a story surrounding these major events in history.
September 27, 2025
The story of Mrs Lincoln's supposed rival - Kate Chase was a painful read, but the timeline of President Lincoln's presidency was a good reminder from a different perspective. That, was interesting and inspiring.
May 11, 2024
I enjoy reading this author’s books and being introduced to historical figures and times although granted in a fictional novel. She put me in Washington DC (or Washington City as it was then called, I guess) around the time of the Civil War and really brought it alive.
September 10, 2022
This was… not good.
This book had extremely clunky prose. How it info-dumps the events of the civil war and speed runs through various moments of Kate Chase’s life makes this book a slog to get through.
This book had extremely clunky prose. How it info-dumps the events of the civil war and speed runs through various moments of Kate Chase’s life makes this book a slog to get through.
September 6, 2023
It’s very slow but interesting. The history was very intriguing.
October 19, 2018
I would give this 3.5 stars This book is a long one! Whew! I finally finished it!
The beginning/middle is a little slow, but if you love history you’ll push through. The last 100 pages were the most interesting to me. The story is all about Kate Chase and her life/perspective during the Civil War.
Her life shows how you can be at the height of Society, but lose it all in a few years. The storyline of her husband is so sad, and surprised me the most.
By the end I enjoyed the book more than when I started and all the twists at the end made it intriguing .
The beginning/middle is a little slow, but if you love history you’ll push through. The last 100 pages were the most interesting to me. The story is all about Kate Chase and her life/perspective during the Civil War.
Her life shows how you can be at the height of Society, but lose it all in a few years. The storyline of her husband is so sad, and surprised me the most.
By the end I enjoyed the book more than when I started and all the twists at the end made it intriguing .
July 8, 2020
Great book about Katie Chase Sprague! She was as popular in Washington DC society as Mrs Lincoln was unpopular. She was the wife of the former “bachelor governor “ of Virginia, William Sprague Sr. She was the daughter of Mr Lincoln’s secretary of the treasury, Salmon Chase.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommend: for lovers of antebellum history and stories about empowered women
Warning: minor references to wedding night sex and a illegitimate son
Reading level: kinda boring for the first 1/3 but then it was absorbing
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommend: for lovers of antebellum history and stories about empowered women
Warning: minor references to wedding night sex and a illegitimate son
Reading level: kinda boring for the first 1/3 but then it was absorbing
March 22, 2014
I really enjoyed reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker" so I was anxious to read "Mrs. Lincoln's Rival" and was not disappointed. Jennifer Chiaverini offers rich details of this time period and is truly a master story teller. The "rival" is Kate Chase, daughter of Salmon P. Chase who served as governor of Ohio and later as Secretary of the Treasury in Abraham Lincoln's administration. The story is even more compelling as these are real life characters in U.S. history. I looked up their photos online which enriched the story. I've read of those women whose husbands or fathers are in the political arena. It's interesting and at times, unbelievable, to hear of their behind the scene work and am amazed at their loyalty. Kate Chase and Mary Todd Lincoln (whose hellcat reputation was apparently well deserved) do have a rivalry in Washington City's salon circles. I sided with Kate the whole book especially as she was able to still reach out to Mary Todd Lincoln in her hour of need, at the death of her sons and husband, compassion which neither reciprocated nor acknowledged. The whole Governor William Sprague episode broke your heart because, as an outsider, many red flags appeared in their early relationship. Kate who was so savvy in many ways was blinded by love in this most important part of her life, as many are. Kate had her faults too but overall, she still remained a compelling character. The story telling was enhanced by reader Christina Moore's masterful rendition.
March 4, 2014
As a long time fan of Chiaverini, I've been looking forward to reading this novel.
After reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker", I expected something different than this novel. I expected it to be mostly about the rivalry between Kate Chase and Mrs. Lincoln; instead, it was about Kate's life during Lincoln's tenure as president. Again, Chiaverini's research was impeccable and the fictionalization of the characters believable. Kate Chase was a woman far ahead of her time in a political sense and I found her story fascinating. Her unfortunate marriage to William Sprague was well described as was her independent spirit. She was a much more likable woman than Mary Lincoln, although she was calculating in her own way.
I enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Rival" as much as I enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker". While Mrs. Lincoln was featured in the title of each, we learn of her through the observances of others.
I love history and have always read a lot of historical fiction, but I think I learned more about the frustrations of President Lincoln with his generals in these two novels than in all the others I've read. Ms. Chiaverini did an excellent job of setting her story in the time period and describing that period better than many others I've read over the years.
After reading "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker", I expected something different than this novel. I expected it to be mostly about the rivalry between Kate Chase and Mrs. Lincoln; instead, it was about Kate's life during Lincoln's tenure as president. Again, Chiaverini's research was impeccable and the fictionalization of the characters believable. Kate Chase was a woman far ahead of her time in a political sense and I found her story fascinating. Her unfortunate marriage to William Sprague was well described as was her independent spirit. She was a much more likable woman than Mary Lincoln, although she was calculating in her own way.
I enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Rival" as much as I enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker". While Mrs. Lincoln was featured in the title of each, we learn of her through the observances of others.
I love history and have always read a lot of historical fiction, but I think I learned more about the frustrations of President Lincoln with his generals in these two novels than in all the others I've read. Ms. Chiaverini did an excellent job of setting her story in the time period and describing that period better than many others I've read over the years.
June 22, 2014
Good but not great novel about Kate Chase, the daughter of Salmon Chase. Her father was Secretary of the Treasury during the U.S. Civil War (this is historical fact, so I don't think it needs to be in spoiler tags even though the book starts before that).
The title is misleading - there is very little about Mrs. Lincoln in this book. In retrospect I realize that since Kate was hoping that her father would win the presidency instead of Lincoln, and that she (Kate) would serve as First Lady because her father was widowed, this could be what the "Rival" portion of the title means - rivals for position of First Lady. But I never felt the rivalry while reading.
I have enjoyed most of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts books, and been pulled into those stories and characters. In contrast, with Mrs. Lincoln's Rival I learned some interesting facts in U.S. history, but never felt really pulled into the story.
The title is misleading - there is very little about Mrs. Lincoln in this book. In retrospect I realize that since Kate was hoping that her father would win the presidency instead of Lincoln, and that she (Kate) would serve as First Lady because her father was widowed, this could be what the "Rival" portion of the title means - rivals for position of First Lady. But I never felt the rivalry while reading.
I have enjoyed most of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts books, and been pulled into those stories and characters. In contrast, with Mrs. Lincoln's Rival I learned some interesting facts in U.S. history, but never felt really pulled into the story.
June 4, 2018
I picked this up thinking it would be far more exciting than it was. If you’re looking for a good cat fight, this is not it. The only reason I continued reading to the end was because I kept expecting the fireworks between the main character, Kate, and Mrs. Lincoln to really get going. Very little ever happened and the book ended flat. Often it seemed that the rivalry was mostly imagined by Kate via her jealousy of Mrs. Lincoln’s position as First Lady; there was little evidence of Mrs. Lincoln feeling anything but slightly annoyed by Kate (and by the end of the book I felt annoyed by her, too). The two characters rarely interacted, so instead the reader is stuck living through the civil war with Kate, her status-seeking father, various suitors, her sister, and a bunch of boring statesmen. The author repeatedly tells us about how great the main character is (yes! We get it! She’s the most popular girl in town! Mrs. Lincoln MUST be so jealous that Kate is “The Belle of Washington!”) without a whole lot of action to back it up. This isn’t a horrible read, but the contents don’t live up to the expectations of the title.
January 21, 2014
After having read Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and absolutely loving it, I was anxious to read another book from the exact same time. The author has such a command of descriptions and the history and portrayed Kate Chase as a powerful political and social young woman. I would like to have gotten more of the rivalry between Miss Chase and Mrs. Lincoln though. The story follows Miss Chase and her father over several years. I felt the book ended rather abruptly however. While it was a fairly long book, it could have had a more complete ending. This book wasn't as good as Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, but not from want of an interesting subject. It seemed to drag in a few spots, but only for a few pages. And, like I said, the ending was too abrupt for my liking.
Still, this was a good book with some very interesting passages. I do recommend the book.
Still, this was a good book with some very interesting passages. I do recommend the book.
February 15, 2015
Mrs. Lincoln's Rival is about Kate Chase Sprague, the daughter of politician SP Chase. I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be a page-turner, educational, interesting, and relaxing to read. I enjoyed all the details about the politics and society in Washington in the 1860's, and the civil war.
The title of the book is really just a way to introduce you to Kate. The rivalry is only a small part of the book, as are the notes about Mrs. Lincoln. though this is fiction based on history, I found myself getting to know, and admire, President Lincoln like never before. Chiaverini gives you a very good sense of his character. After reading it I was interested to learn about the lives of all the main characters. Chiaverini really brought them to life, which is the mark of a great writer in my book.
A great read!!
The title of the book is really just a way to introduce you to Kate. The rivalry is only a small part of the book, as are the notes about Mrs. Lincoln. though this is fiction based on history, I found myself getting to know, and admire, President Lincoln like never before. Chiaverini gives you a very good sense of his character. After reading it I was interested to learn about the lives of all the main characters. Chiaverini really brought them to life, which is the mark of a great writer in my book.
A great read!!
May 17, 2014
I got to page120 and didn't continue with this book because I felt the author was too historically humdrum. When I read historical fiction, it is to get away from the tedious fact-gathering of nonfiction. It is always refreshing to have historical fiction novels which delve into characters centered in historical times. Ms. Chiaverini did just that with her previous novel, "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker". But, she misses the mark with "Mrs. Lincoln's Rival". I do look forward to future historical fiction books by Ms. Chiaverini, because I have read all of her previous quilt story books, and of course thoroughly enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker".
December 31, 2022
Never disappoints!
The novel follows a young girl into adulthood and focuses on her father's servitude to this great nation under leadership of the great emancipator and the events throughout President Lincoln's presidency to his death! The author researched people, places and events mixing history with fiction by adding her own dialog and situations to create the heartwarming and heart wrenching tells!
Jennifer Chiaverini keeps your attention so easily; her writing such an easy flow through many events and situations, yet she keeps it clean without profanity or telling too much in the way of romance. She is positively my favorite author by far!
The novel follows a young girl into adulthood and focuses on her father's servitude to this great nation under leadership of the great emancipator and the events throughout President Lincoln's presidency to his death! The author researched people, places and events mixing history with fiction by adding her own dialog and situations to create the heartwarming and heart wrenching tells!
Jennifer Chiaverini keeps your attention so easily; her writing such an easy flow through many events and situations, yet she keeps it clean without profanity or telling too much in the way of romance. She is positively my favorite author by far!
January 29, 2014
Another excellent book by Jennifer Chiaverini centered on people during the U.S. Civil War. This novelization of the life of Kate Chase, the "Belle of Washington" and daughter of governor, senator, treasury secretary, and later Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, is based on fine research and is interesting and engaging. The rivalry with Mary Todd Lincoln is overplayed, but provides the author with a theme and a connection to her book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, which I enjoyed even more than this book.
March 15, 2020
Having read and enjoyed this author's work before, this book was hard to finish and I struggled not to quit half way through. The rivalry implied by the title played little in the actual book besides petty gossip and perceived social snubs. The tidbits of actual history and events of the Civil Way were much more interesting than the relationships surrounding Kate Chase who came across as spoiled and self-centered but then as a woman with a sharp political mind at other times. Very little dialogue mixed in with agonizing detail about her appearance or how "adored" she was by society.
March 27, 2022
Life is too short to read bad books.
I gave Chiaverini a second chance after being slightly disappointed with Mrs. Lincoln’s Dress Maker. This one was even more difficult. It is written more like a history book with a slight fictional storyline than it is a work of historical fiction. I love history but this book is a drudgery when you’re looking for fiction. I made it almost 200 pages and had to toss it aside.
I gave Chiaverini a second chance after being slightly disappointed with Mrs. Lincoln’s Dress Maker. This one was even more difficult. It is written more like a history book with a slight fictional storyline than it is a work of historical fiction. I love history but this book is a drudgery when you’re looking for fiction. I made it almost 200 pages and had to toss it aside.
November 14, 2015
I found this book unsatisfying. We get only a brief chapter of Kate Chase's life—the Civil War years, in keeping with the theme of her supposed rivalry with Mrs. Lincoln. I think Kate Chase deserved better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews