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Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life
A biography of one of the Gilded Age’s most fascinating and mysterious society women that “reads as well as any page-turning novel” (Library Journal). The hidden story of one of the most fascinating women of the Gilded Age Clover Adams, a fiercely intelligent Boston Brahmin, married at twenty-eight the soon-to-be-eminent American historian Henry Adams. She thrived in her role as an intimate of power brokers in Gilded Age Washington, where she was admired for her wit and taste by such luminaries as Henry James, H. H. Richardson, and General William Tecumseh Sherman. Clover so clearly possessed, as one friend wrote, “all she wanted, all this world could give.” Yet at the center of her story is a haunting mystery. Why did Clover, having begun in the spring of 1883 to capture her world vividly through photography, end her life less than three years later by drinking a chemical developer she used in the darkroom? The key to the mystery lies, as Natalie Dykstra’s searching account makes clear, in Clover’s photographs themselves. The aftermath of Clover’s death is equally compelling. Dykstra probes Clover’s enduring reputation as a woman betrayed. And, most movingly, she untangles the complex, poignant—and universal—truths of her shining and impossible marriage. www.nataliedykstra.com
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Natalie Dykstra
3 books31 followersNatalie Dykstra is emerita professor of English and senior research professor at Hope College. She received her undergraduate degree in Classics followed by graduate degrees in American Studies at the University of Wyoming and the University of Kansas.
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August 15, 2025
Clover Adams
On December 6, 1885, Clover Adams, (1843 -1885) the wife of the famous historian Henry Adams, committed suicide at the age of 42. Natalie Dykstra's new biography, "Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life", tells her story. Dykstra, a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, is associate professor of English at Hope College in Michigan. This is her first book.
Although she may be unfamiliar to some readers, Clover (Marian) Adams has long fascinated historians and students of Henry Adams. The reasons for her suicide never have and probably never will be clear. Although Dykstra offers her own insights into Clover's death, the major value of the book lies in her portrayal of Clover's life and interest in photography, in her discussion of her relationship to her husband, and in her picture of Washington, D.C. during the Gilded Age.
Clover was born into a life of wealth and privilege in Massachusetts, but her family showed a substantial history of depression. She was raised by her father, a physician, following the early death of her mother who wrote death-haunted poetry. Clover received an excellent education and was interested in art, literature, and languages. She read classical Greek fluently. At the age of 28. she married Henry Adams, 33, then a professor of history at Harvard. Henry Adams (1838-1918) was the great grandson and the grandson of two American presidents and the son of a famous diplomat, Charles Francis Adams. He bore the weight of his ancestry throughout life. Henry appeared to be genuinely in love with Clover even though he wrote a letter to a friend commenting on her lack of physical beauty and showing some discomfort with her intellect. His family disapproved of the marriage given the signs of emotional instability in Clover's family background. Following a year-long honeymoon to Europe and Egypt, during which Clover already evidenced some signs of withdrawal, the couple settled in Washington, D.C. in the area of Lafeyette Park which fronts on the White House.
Much of Dykstra's book describes the elegant life of the wealthy and well-connected in post-Civil War Washington. Henry and Clover entertained and were entertained lavishly. Their friends included politicians, civil war heroes and diplomats. The couple was at the center of a friendship circle of five distinguished people, (Clover, Henry, John and Clara Hay, and Clarence King) who called themselves "The Five Hearts." As a scholar and historian, Henry Adams needed solitude and quiet to research and write. Clover felt isolated and alone. In addition, Clover was troubled by Adams' growing friendship for and infatuation with Elizabeth Cameron, the young wife of an aging and alcoholic senator.
In 1883, Clover Adams discovered photography. With her artistic background, she quickly became fascinated with it. The core of Dykstra's study is her description of Clover's work in the medium, including detailed commentaries and descriptions of many of her photographs which, Dykstra contends, show a lonely and unconnected individual. Clover's photographs received substantial acclaim during her life. John Hay wanted to use her photograph of historian George Bancroft on the cover of Century magazine, but Henry Adams was against this. Together with Clover's photographs, Dyskstra offers reading of Henry's two novels, "Democracy" and "Esther" which place the couple's marriage and Clover herself at the center of the books. Other readers have noticed this autobiographical element in the novels, but some critics have expressed skepticism with taking it to the extent of Dykstra.
In April, 1885, Clover's father died. Clover entered a long period of depression before her suicide in December. Dykstra tries to identify other factors that may have contributed to her suicide in addition to the death of her father. She finds evidence in Clover's photographs of loneliness and isolation from people, and from her husband in particular. Dykstra discusses the stained, possibly formal marriage, and the limited opportunities available to gifted women. These factors may have contributed. My reading of the book suggests that Clover's depression and suicide had a strongly genetic basis which would have been the decisive factor regardless of the nature of her relationship to Henry or to the death of her father. Following Clover's death, Henry commissioned a beautiful monument for her in Rock Creek Cemetery, carried on a frustrating, non-sexual relationship with Elizabeth Cameron, travelled restlessly, and completed his masterworks, including his History and The Education of Henry Adams. Clover is conspicuous for her absence in the Education.
Dykstra has written a fine book about Clover which shows that Clover was a person worth knowing in her own right, rather than only as the suicidal wife of a famous man. Dykstra taught me a great deal about Clover and about Henry even if she did not persuade me to follow all her conclusions. I would have liked a larger selection of Clover's photographs.
Robin Friedman
On December 6, 1885, Clover Adams, (1843 -1885) the wife of the famous historian Henry Adams, committed suicide at the age of 42. Natalie Dykstra's new biography, "Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life", tells her story. Dykstra, a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, is associate professor of English at Hope College in Michigan. This is her first book.
Although she may be unfamiliar to some readers, Clover (Marian) Adams has long fascinated historians and students of Henry Adams. The reasons for her suicide never have and probably never will be clear. Although Dykstra offers her own insights into Clover's death, the major value of the book lies in her portrayal of Clover's life and interest in photography, in her discussion of her relationship to her husband, and in her picture of Washington, D.C. during the Gilded Age.
Clover was born into a life of wealth and privilege in Massachusetts, but her family showed a substantial history of depression. She was raised by her father, a physician, following the early death of her mother who wrote death-haunted poetry. Clover received an excellent education and was interested in art, literature, and languages. She read classical Greek fluently. At the age of 28. she married Henry Adams, 33, then a professor of history at Harvard. Henry Adams (1838-1918) was the great grandson and the grandson of two American presidents and the son of a famous diplomat, Charles Francis Adams. He bore the weight of his ancestry throughout life. Henry appeared to be genuinely in love with Clover even though he wrote a letter to a friend commenting on her lack of physical beauty and showing some discomfort with her intellect. His family disapproved of the marriage given the signs of emotional instability in Clover's family background. Following a year-long honeymoon to Europe and Egypt, during which Clover already evidenced some signs of withdrawal, the couple settled in Washington, D.C. in the area of Lafeyette Park which fronts on the White House.
Much of Dykstra's book describes the elegant life of the wealthy and well-connected in post-Civil War Washington. Henry and Clover entertained and were entertained lavishly. Their friends included politicians, civil war heroes and diplomats. The couple was at the center of a friendship circle of five distinguished people, (Clover, Henry, John and Clara Hay, and Clarence King) who called themselves "The Five Hearts." As a scholar and historian, Henry Adams needed solitude and quiet to research and write. Clover felt isolated and alone. In addition, Clover was troubled by Adams' growing friendship for and infatuation with Elizabeth Cameron, the young wife of an aging and alcoholic senator.
In 1883, Clover Adams discovered photography. With her artistic background, she quickly became fascinated with it. The core of Dykstra's study is her description of Clover's work in the medium, including detailed commentaries and descriptions of many of her photographs which, Dykstra contends, show a lonely and unconnected individual. Clover's photographs received substantial acclaim during her life. John Hay wanted to use her photograph of historian George Bancroft on the cover of Century magazine, but Henry Adams was against this. Together with Clover's photographs, Dyskstra offers reading of Henry's two novels, "Democracy" and "Esther" which place the couple's marriage and Clover herself at the center of the books. Other readers have noticed this autobiographical element in the novels, but some critics have expressed skepticism with taking it to the extent of Dykstra.
In April, 1885, Clover's father died. Clover entered a long period of depression before her suicide in December. Dykstra tries to identify other factors that may have contributed to her suicide in addition to the death of her father. She finds evidence in Clover's photographs of loneliness and isolation from people, and from her husband in particular. Dykstra discusses the stained, possibly formal marriage, and the limited opportunities available to gifted women. These factors may have contributed. My reading of the book suggests that Clover's depression and suicide had a strongly genetic basis which would have been the decisive factor regardless of the nature of her relationship to Henry or to the death of her father. Following Clover's death, Henry commissioned a beautiful monument for her in Rock Creek Cemetery, carried on a frustrating, non-sexual relationship with Elizabeth Cameron, travelled restlessly, and completed his masterworks, including his History and The Education of Henry Adams. Clover is conspicuous for her absence in the Education.
Dykstra has written a fine book about Clover which shows that Clover was a person worth knowing in her own right, rather than only as the suicidal wife of a famous man. Dykstra taught me a great deal about Clover and about Henry even if she did not persuade me to follow all her conclusions. I would have liked a larger selection of Clover's photographs.
Robin Friedman
November 27, 2024
I wish I could remember where or who I heard about this book/Clover from because I loved this so much. Clover had such a fascinating life. She knew so many famous and otherwise interesting people. She was married to Henry Adams. She also had loss in her life since she was a toddler and later on depression (“melancholia”) and you could just see her life racing towards its heartbreaking end. I’m so glad I read this. I found myself googling her daily, just to look at her photographs. She should be more known; Dykstra did a wonderful job telling her story.
February 11, 2012
As the first two-star reviewer, I guess I need to explain myself.
Firstly, biography is not my favorite genre. So there's that. I probably wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't gotten an ARC at the ALA Midwinter Conference. The writing itself was pretty good, at least on par with other biographies I've read. However, it almost seemed as though there wasn't enough source material to support the narrative Dykstra wants to present--happiness, after initial panic after her marriage, followed by slowly encroaching isolation and jealousy, leading to her eventual depression after her father's death, and then her own suicide. Dykstra seemed to rely a lot more on speculation than the other biographers I've read--or maybe she was just the only one being honest about theorizing, while other biographers present their suppositions as fact. Or maybe I just haven't read enough biographies. I'm not sure which option is more likely. I just found it odd that for someone as prolific and quotable as Clover is set up to be (and apparently is, from the quotes the author chose to include), she isn't quoted very much. I'd have liked to hear a lot more of her own voice, and especially as written to a slightly wider range of correspondents. Dykstra also draws a lot of conclusions about Henry and Clover's feelings from their art, which is always a slightly iffy proposition. Just from the textual evidence, I'm not convinced that Clover did know how much Henry liked Lizzie. Clover seems to be unafraid of snubbing those that offend her, but she apparently writes to Lizzie, even at a very personal level. I'm not convinced that that was really a factor in her decision to kill herself, even though the copy-writer for the back cover seems to think that this is the primary factor (while I think it's pretty clearly the death of her father triggering her genetic melancholia--you don't really need to look much further than that, especially considering her family history).
On top of that, (at risk of sounding superficial) Clover Adams isn't exactly a household name. I never fully understood why the author would choose to cover such an obscure historical figure, especially with so little evidence (as far as I can tell) to support the choice. Clover's experience just doesn't seem that unique.
So this was okay, but I didn't love it. Perhaps it's a biography only for lovers of biography. If that's you, you should absolutely give this a go. Otherwise, I wouldn't really recommend it.
Firstly, biography is not my favorite genre. So there's that. I probably wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't gotten an ARC at the ALA Midwinter Conference. The writing itself was pretty good, at least on par with other biographies I've read. However, it almost seemed as though there wasn't enough source material to support the narrative Dykstra wants to present--happiness, after initial panic after her marriage, followed by slowly encroaching isolation and jealousy, leading to her eventual depression after her father's death, and then her own suicide. Dykstra seemed to rely a lot more on speculation than the other biographers I've read--or maybe she was just the only one being honest about theorizing, while other biographers present their suppositions as fact. Or maybe I just haven't read enough biographies. I'm not sure which option is more likely. I just found it odd that for someone as prolific and quotable as Clover is set up to be (and apparently is, from the quotes the author chose to include), she isn't quoted very much. I'd have liked to hear a lot more of her own voice, and especially as written to a slightly wider range of correspondents. Dykstra also draws a lot of conclusions about Henry and Clover's feelings from their art, which is always a slightly iffy proposition. Just from the textual evidence, I'm not convinced that Clover did know how much Henry liked Lizzie. Clover seems to be unafraid of snubbing those that offend her, but she apparently writes to Lizzie, even at a very personal level. I'm not convinced that that was really a factor in her decision to kill herself, even though the copy-writer for the back cover seems to think that this is the primary factor (while I think it's pretty clearly the death of her father triggering her genetic melancholia--you don't really need to look much further than that, especially considering her family history).
On top of that, (at risk of sounding superficial) Clover Adams isn't exactly a household name. I never fully understood why the author would choose to cover such an obscure historical figure, especially with so little evidence (as far as I can tell) to support the choice. Clover's experience just doesn't seem that unique.
So this was okay, but I didn't love it. Perhaps it's a biography only for lovers of biography. If that's you, you should absolutely give this a go. Otherwise, I wouldn't really recommend it.
September 10, 2016
In the prologue of this well-researched and fascinating book, readers learn this about Clover Adams:
*her good friend, Henry James, said she was “a perfect Voltaire in petticoats”
*she was intellectual and well-read
*her husband, Henry Adams, was the grandson of John Quincy Adams, the great-grandson of John Adams
*she had traveled the world
*she was well-known for her salons, where the brightest and best of American politics, literature, academics and art came together to share ideas
*she was a talented photographer, and
*when she was forty-two years old, Clover Adams swallowed cyanide to commit suicide
Dykstra probes this unusual woman’s life during the Gilded Age, and in the process, sheds light on the role of woman in that era, how depression was viewed and treated, and how no one can know the depths of another’s heart.
As her friend, John Hay wrote to Henry Adams after her death, "Is it any consolation to remember her as she was? That bright, intrepid spirit, that keen, fine intellect, that lofty scorn for all that was mean, that social charm which made your house such a one as Washington never knew before and made hundreds of people love her as much as they admired her."
I am not done thinking about/remembering Clover Adams’ haunted and haunting life.
*her good friend, Henry James, said she was “a perfect Voltaire in petticoats”
*she was intellectual and well-read
*her husband, Henry Adams, was the grandson of John Quincy Adams, the great-grandson of John Adams
*she had traveled the world
*she was well-known for her salons, where the brightest and best of American politics, literature, academics and art came together to share ideas
*she was a talented photographer, and
*when she was forty-two years old, Clover Adams swallowed cyanide to commit suicide
Dykstra probes this unusual woman’s life during the Gilded Age, and in the process, sheds light on the role of woman in that era, how depression was viewed and treated, and how no one can know the depths of another’s heart.
As her friend, John Hay wrote to Henry Adams after her death, "Is it any consolation to remember her as she was? That bright, intrepid spirit, that keen, fine intellect, that lofty scorn for all that was mean, that social charm which made your house such a one as Washington never knew before and made hundreds of people love her as much as they admired her."
I am not done thinking about/remembering Clover Adams’ haunted and haunting life.
May 12, 2012
As the youngest of three children in her family, Marian Hooper was a favorite of her mother who gave her the lucky nickname Clover, an optimistic moniker which stuck for the rest of her life. Lively and full of curiosity and enthusiasms, Clover had a winning personality that made her popular with her friends into adulthood, but her mother’s death when she was only five years old was the first in a series of misfortunes that ultimately contributed to her death by suicide. Author Natalie Dykstra captures both the richness and the tragedy of her life, presenting a mesmerizing portrait of a privileged woman from America’s Gilded Age whose personal tribulations might not have been so overwhelming if she hadn’t been stymied by the limitations placed on the women of her time.
Clover grew up in the Boston area, and her family could count as friends many notable people of the time, including the families of Louis Agassiz, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Alice James, five years her junior, knew Clover’s family well enough to have pointed opinions about their circumstances, and Alice’s brother Henry, who Clover called Harry, remained a close friend for most of her life. As a young woman Clover avidly followed accounts of the Civil War and did volunteer work for organizations aiding those impacted by it, including dislocated freed slaves. The war vastly depleted the number of marriage age men and for a while Clover felt she might be left alone with her father as her older brother and sister married moved out, so it was fortunate that she caught the eye of Henry Adams, who was working as a Harvard professor of history at the time.
Henry was the great-grandson of founding father an early president John Adams, and the grandson of John Quincy Adams, another president, so marrying Henry brought Clover into intellectually stimulating political circles that she enjoyed greatly for the most part, though she wasn’t someone who was comfortable with the exacting protocol that their life in Washington, DC sometimes required. They were well off; for their honeymoon they spent a year touring Europe and Egypt, and later they enjoyed collecting art. Henry wrote histories, and Clover supported him by sometimes helping with his research.
Though Clover took up photography, creating emotive portraits and landscapes at a time when photographers had to develop their own pictures, there was, of course, no question of her having her own career, or even having her work recognized. The one opportunity she had to have a photograph published was vetoed by her husband, though she didn’t seem to disagree with his judgment. While a woman could visit art museums, be trained in the arts, and make beautiful objects, true art was thought to be the province of men, and Clover never had the satisfaction of seeing her photography taken as seriously as it would have been if she was a man.
Clover and Henry never had any children, but she remained close to her father, writing him long letters every Sunday, and she and Henry spent summers with her family in Massachusetts. Clover’s father died at an especially unfortunate time; a beautiful young woman had begun to ensnare Henry’s heart . The emptiness and loss she felt as a result of her father’s death, her lack of children, her loss of some of her husband’s attention and her lack of purpose became more than she could bear. There was a history of mental illness and suicide in her family, and though she had finally seemed to be pulling herself out of her despair, she killed herself by drinking one of her photography chemicals seven months after her father’s death.
It was a sad ending to a promising life, but this book is more thoughtful than morose. A way of life long gone but still relevant to contemporary times is interestingly evoked, and fascinating personalities people its pages. With examples of Clover’s photography and 60 pages of notes, it’s a substantial and satisfying chronicle of a captivating life.
Clover grew up in the Boston area, and her family could count as friends many notable people of the time, including the families of Louis Agassiz, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Alice James, five years her junior, knew Clover’s family well enough to have pointed opinions about their circumstances, and Alice’s brother Henry, who Clover called Harry, remained a close friend for most of her life. As a young woman Clover avidly followed accounts of the Civil War and did volunteer work for organizations aiding those impacted by it, including dislocated freed slaves. The war vastly depleted the number of marriage age men and for a while Clover felt she might be left alone with her father as her older brother and sister married moved out, so it was fortunate that she caught the eye of Henry Adams, who was working as a Harvard professor of history at the time.
Henry was the great-grandson of founding father an early president John Adams, and the grandson of John Quincy Adams, another president, so marrying Henry brought Clover into intellectually stimulating political circles that she enjoyed greatly for the most part, though she wasn’t someone who was comfortable with the exacting protocol that their life in Washington, DC sometimes required. They were well off; for their honeymoon they spent a year touring Europe and Egypt, and later they enjoyed collecting art. Henry wrote histories, and Clover supported him by sometimes helping with his research.
Though Clover took up photography, creating emotive portraits and landscapes at a time when photographers had to develop their own pictures, there was, of course, no question of her having her own career, or even having her work recognized. The one opportunity she had to have a photograph published was vetoed by her husband, though she didn’t seem to disagree with his judgment. While a woman could visit art museums, be trained in the arts, and make beautiful objects, true art was thought to be the province of men, and Clover never had the satisfaction of seeing her photography taken as seriously as it would have been if she was a man.
Clover and Henry never had any children, but she remained close to her father, writing him long letters every Sunday, and she and Henry spent summers with her family in Massachusetts. Clover’s father died at an especially unfortunate time; a beautiful young woman had begun to ensnare Henry’s heart . The emptiness and loss she felt as a result of her father’s death, her lack of children, her loss of some of her husband’s attention and her lack of purpose became more than she could bear. There was a history of mental illness and suicide in her family, and though she had finally seemed to be pulling herself out of her despair, she killed herself by drinking one of her photography chemicals seven months after her father’s death.
It was a sad ending to a promising life, but this book is more thoughtful than morose. A way of life long gone but still relevant to contemporary times is interestingly evoked, and fascinating personalities people its pages. With examples of Clover’s photography and 60 pages of notes, it’s a substantial and satisfying chronicle of a captivating life.
July 14, 2017
Clover Adams is probably best known today for the August Saint-Gaudens bronze that guards her grave in Washington, DC. I first heard a mention of this while reading The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan, which mentions how the influence of Eastern traditions shaped Saint-Gaudens' work.
Overall, this biography was disappointing. It's well researched, but Dykstra constantly undercuts her own work by mentioning lack of resources on Clover's life. Certainly there will always be gaps in the historical record, but Dykstra doesn't budge from the sticture of her subject, and hardly gives pause to draw conclusions based on given material. The lack of material excuse pops up over and over until I began to wonder why it was worth reading this at all, if the material was so sparse.
The text is also very bland, making it dull to move through, something I find hard to do considering the amazing detail that survives about the period. While Dykstra lacked information about Clover specifically, there is lots to draw upon to talk about the society they moved in, or what a typical experience of the era was.
Overall, this biography was disappointing. It's well researched, but Dykstra constantly undercuts her own work by mentioning lack of resources on Clover's life. Certainly there will always be gaps in the historical record, but Dykstra doesn't budge from the sticture of her subject, and hardly gives pause to draw conclusions based on given material. The lack of material excuse pops up over and over until I began to wonder why it was worth reading this at all, if the material was so sparse.
The text is also very bland, making it dull to move through, something I find hard to do considering the amazing detail that survives about the period. While Dykstra lacked information about Clover specifically, there is lots to draw upon to talk about the society they moved in, or what a typical experience of the era was.
August 15, 2018
3.5 stars
If you're interested in Clover or Henry Adams, this is definitely a book to read. It's very comprehensive and well written about their lives. For myself, I picked up the book because I'm doing research on the Gilded Age and in this respect, I found the book a little disappointing. I expected the life of Clover Adams to be told with much more context into the Gilded Age. But this is mostly a straight-forward biography of Clover Adams. That's fine, but the "Gilded... Life" in the subtitle sort of hinted that there would be more about the Gilded Age and this wasn't really the case. Plus, Clover Adams comes off as pampered and Henry Adams as self-centered - not much to recommend them as subjects for a biography. Overall, I personally was disappointed by this book but that doesn't mean that other readers who are interested in the Gilded Age would be and certainly those interested in Clover Adams and Henry Adams will find this book very informative.
If you're interested in Clover or Henry Adams, this is definitely a book to read. It's very comprehensive and well written about their lives. For myself, I picked up the book because I'm doing research on the Gilded Age and in this respect, I found the book a little disappointing. I expected the life of Clover Adams to be told with much more context into the Gilded Age. But this is mostly a straight-forward biography of Clover Adams. That's fine, but the "Gilded... Life" in the subtitle sort of hinted that there would be more about the Gilded Age and this wasn't really the case. Plus, Clover Adams comes off as pampered and Henry Adams as self-centered - not much to recommend them as subjects for a biography. Overall, I personally was disappointed by this book but that doesn't mean that other readers who are interested in the Gilded Age would be and certainly those interested in Clover Adams and Henry Adams will find this book very informative.
November 4, 2014
I hate to admit it, but I just could not get through this book. For one thing, there just isn't enough information about Clover, at all, there were plenty of lines like "although we have no specific information about the Adams household, it was usual for women of that class at that time to do x, y, or z." Wait, what? First of all, we're just supposed to assume that Clover lived a "gilded and heartbreaking life" because there's really no evidence that her heart was broken, I actually more saw signs of what we would now call clinical depression. Particularly with the genetic component!
Second, despite the "gilded and heartbreaking" we are now assuming that she lives such an ordinary life that it doesn't even need to be explained? She was just "typical?" Finally, if her life was ordinary and typical for that age, why do we care?
Her photographs are fine, I suppose, nothing earth shattering. I was really hoping there would be some scandal, some indication of why Henry left her out of his own autobiography. Some snippet of a letter, perhaps, explaining that it was all a facade and Clover was really a man pretending to be a woman all along, or vice versa, I don't care what the interesting thing IS, as long as it's interesting!
But there's nothing like that. There are typical trips, typical hobbies, typical relationships. The preview that inspired me to read this book (other than the book of the day status) was that "Clover's photography...offers fascinating clues to her short life and tragic end." Um, NO. No it does not. It's typical stiff, formal photography for the most part, a few more candid shots like anyone would have in their photo album even today, and that's it!
If any phrase describes her life, it would not be "gilded and heartbreaking" it would be "ordinary and typical." The only two surprises in her life, it seems, are that she married older than most of her social status, and killed herself. But even her suicide isn't that mysterious or tragic. Her family had a history of suicide and mental health issues, specifically depression.
In the same vein, it's not really that surprising that in his autobiography, her husband would not want to speak of what had to be a great pain. Maybe he left her out because he didn't love her and didn't think enough of her to even put her in...probably not, based on the description of their relationship. More likely, he didn't think putting his greatest pain, and probably shame, under a spotlight would be good for him, his family, her memory, or her family.
This is also (here's that word again) a TYPICAL reaction in that time period to these types of family shame issues. They were swept under the rug and not spoken about in polite company.
Basically, I spent about 9 weeks trying to get through this book, waiting for the hook to grab me, waiting to care about these people's lives, and it's just not there. I ended up skipping about 100 pages to get to the end, and don't feel like I missed a thing. I've never EVER counted a book as read when I didn't read every page, but in this case, it's just not worth the torture.
Book of the day for January 13, 2014!
Second, despite the "gilded and heartbreaking" we are now assuming that she lives such an ordinary life that it doesn't even need to be explained? She was just "typical?" Finally, if her life was ordinary and typical for that age, why do we care?
Her photographs are fine, I suppose, nothing earth shattering. I was really hoping there would be some scandal, some indication of why Henry left her out of his own autobiography. Some snippet of a letter, perhaps, explaining that it was all a facade and Clover was really a man pretending to be a woman all along, or vice versa, I don't care what the interesting thing IS, as long as it's interesting!
But there's nothing like that. There are typical trips, typical hobbies, typical relationships. The preview that inspired me to read this book (other than the book of the day status) was that "Clover's photography...offers fascinating clues to her short life and tragic end." Um, NO. No it does not. It's typical stiff, formal photography for the most part, a few more candid shots like anyone would have in their photo album even today, and that's it!
If any phrase describes her life, it would not be "gilded and heartbreaking" it would be "ordinary and typical." The only two surprises in her life, it seems, are that she married older than most of her social status, and killed herself. But even her suicide isn't that mysterious or tragic. Her family had a history of suicide and mental health issues, specifically depression.
In the same vein, it's not really that surprising that in his autobiography, her husband would not want to speak of what had to be a great pain. Maybe he left her out because he didn't love her and didn't think enough of her to even put her in...probably not, based on the description of their relationship. More likely, he didn't think putting his greatest pain, and probably shame, under a spotlight would be good for him, his family, her memory, or her family.
This is also (here's that word again) a TYPICAL reaction in that time period to these types of family shame issues. They were swept under the rug and not spoken about in polite company.
Basically, I spent about 9 weeks trying to get through this book, waiting for the hook to grab me, waiting to care about these people's lives, and it's just not there. I ended up skipping about 100 pages to get to the end, and don't feel like I missed a thing. I've never EVER counted a book as read when I didn't read every page, but in this case, it's just not worth the torture.
Book of the day for January 13, 2014!
January 8, 2012
Born in 1843 to a well to do, respected, Boston family, Clover Hooper Adams grew up to be a popular and smart young woman, well educated and a brilliant conversationalist. When she and Henry Adams met, they found much to talk about. They grew to love each other dearly and married. They had enough money to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Henry became an author and historian; Clover, although possibly his intellectual equal, became his support system, attending to his physical comforts as well as helping with the research for his writing. Their parlor became a salon for the intellectuals, writers and artists of the day. She supported the SPCA. She developed a passionate interest in photography and had a talent for it. Clover, it seemed, had everything.
But Clover had a life filled with loss, starting with the loss of her mother to TB when Clover was five. Friends, cousins, aunts & uncles, siblings- people she loved just kept leaving her through death. It’s true that in that era, death came earlier to many than it does now, but it still seemed like everyone kept leaving her alone. She felt she was not pretty – and her husband didn’t think she was, either. There was a history of depression in her family, which she first showed symptoms of during her honeymoon. And Henry was not supportive of her when she stepped outside the limits of conventional female behavior – he did, after all, think women did not have ‘whole minds’- and discouraged her when people started asking to publish some of her photographs. Henry was very much a conventional product of his time when it came to his attitudes towards women; when her beloved father fell ill, she was apparently discouraged from leaving to attend to him; Henry actually wrote a letter to a friend, feeling sorry for himself. In fact, Henry was showing signs of being attracted to a younger woman. And so when her father, who had been her sole parent since her early childhood, died, she fell into a depression, with no one to turn to for emotional support. Finally, she committed suicide by drinking some photography chemicals.
The author has created a marvelous picture of upper class life in the gilded age. Not the vulgar, new money upper class, but the old families; Henry Adams was grandson of one American president and great-grandson of another (and his parents despised Clover). Summers in the country, winters in town. Sparkling conversation. People who read to each other after dinner, and studied Greek and Latin. But there is an uneven quality to the book; some parts drew me in and submerged me in the era and the people; others are dry, as if the author felt she needed to fill an area in but didn’t really have the words or passion for it. I don’t know if there wasn’t enough source material to allow Dykstra to do these areas justice or if they were just lapses. But if you have interest in this era, it’s definitely worth a read. It’s sort of the other half of “The Education of Henry Adams”.
But Clover had a life filled with loss, starting with the loss of her mother to TB when Clover was five. Friends, cousins, aunts & uncles, siblings- people she loved just kept leaving her through death. It’s true that in that era, death came earlier to many than it does now, but it still seemed like everyone kept leaving her alone. She felt she was not pretty – and her husband didn’t think she was, either. There was a history of depression in her family, which she first showed symptoms of during her honeymoon. And Henry was not supportive of her when she stepped outside the limits of conventional female behavior – he did, after all, think women did not have ‘whole minds’- and discouraged her when people started asking to publish some of her photographs. Henry was very much a conventional product of his time when it came to his attitudes towards women; when her beloved father fell ill, she was apparently discouraged from leaving to attend to him; Henry actually wrote a letter to a friend, feeling sorry for himself. In fact, Henry was showing signs of being attracted to a younger woman. And so when her father, who had been her sole parent since her early childhood, died, she fell into a depression, with no one to turn to for emotional support. Finally, she committed suicide by drinking some photography chemicals.
The author has created a marvelous picture of upper class life in the gilded age. Not the vulgar, new money upper class, but the old families; Henry Adams was grandson of one American president and great-grandson of another (and his parents despised Clover). Summers in the country, winters in town. Sparkling conversation. People who read to each other after dinner, and studied Greek and Latin. But there is an uneven quality to the book; some parts drew me in and submerged me in the era and the people; others are dry, as if the author felt she needed to fill an area in but didn’t really have the words or passion for it. I don’t know if there wasn’t enough source material to allow Dykstra to do these areas justice or if they were just lapses. But if you have interest in this era, it’s definitely worth a read. It’s sort of the other half of “The Education of Henry Adams”.
March 13, 2012
Natalie Dykstra writes a well-written detailed biography of Marion (Clover) Adams. She was Henry Adams wife. Henry was President John Adams great-grandson and President John Quincy Adams grandson. The book is an enjoyable read rich in facts about the mysterious life of Clover Adams. The author includes the works of Henry Adams and the history of The Gilded Age.
For the time period, one would surmise Clover and Henry’s marriage and life were appropriate. Both were educated coming from influential families. Although they married later in life than most for the era, they were able to share their love for the good things in life. Both were intelligent and good companions to one another. They never had children.
However, as time went on, Clover felt unrest in her life and her marriage. She became desperate in many ways trying to figure out why she was unhappy. Henry was no help, as most men were not nurturing during that time, so Clover felt isolated in her depression. Clover only knew she felt sad, lonely, and unfulfilled. She tried to find something to make her happy and feel worthwhile so she took up photography. This was a double edged sword because it did help Clover feel better; however, it wasn’t highly regarded as art. She took many photos and had her ups and downs during this time. She had a complicated family which at times added to her sadness, other times brought her happiness. She had a close relationship with her father. When he died, this was the beginning of the worst depression for Clover. She truly did not recover from his loss.
So while Clover was suffering, Henry was also depressed. At the same time she was losing members of her family and it all became too much for Clover. She committed suicide on December 6, 1885. She was 42 years old. What gave her hope was what ended up killing her. She drank the chemicals she used to develop her photographs.
Natalie Dykstra suggests the answers to why Clover took her life may be seen in her photographs. Natalie’s extensive research includes Clover’s notebook, letters, and family papers. From this research Natalie was able to describe to her readers Clover’s daily life, her thoughts and feelings. It describes life in the 19th century.
The book contains 31 extraordinary photos. One is a photo of an untitled bronze statue named, “Grief” that marks the graves of Clover and Henry. It is located in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. It’s sad, but people only know she was the wife of Henry Adams and that she killed herself.
Thanks to Natalie Dykstra, we know there was much more to Clover Adams.
For the time period, one would surmise Clover and Henry’s marriage and life were appropriate. Both were educated coming from influential families. Although they married later in life than most for the era, they were able to share their love for the good things in life. Both were intelligent and good companions to one another. They never had children.
However, as time went on, Clover felt unrest in her life and her marriage. She became desperate in many ways trying to figure out why she was unhappy. Henry was no help, as most men were not nurturing during that time, so Clover felt isolated in her depression. Clover only knew she felt sad, lonely, and unfulfilled. She tried to find something to make her happy and feel worthwhile so she took up photography. This was a double edged sword because it did help Clover feel better; however, it wasn’t highly regarded as art. She took many photos and had her ups and downs during this time. She had a complicated family which at times added to her sadness, other times brought her happiness. She had a close relationship with her father. When he died, this was the beginning of the worst depression for Clover. She truly did not recover from his loss.
So while Clover was suffering, Henry was also depressed. At the same time she was losing members of her family and it all became too much for Clover. She committed suicide on December 6, 1885. She was 42 years old. What gave her hope was what ended up killing her. She drank the chemicals she used to develop her photographs.
Natalie Dykstra suggests the answers to why Clover took her life may be seen in her photographs. Natalie’s extensive research includes Clover’s notebook, letters, and family papers. From this research Natalie was able to describe to her readers Clover’s daily life, her thoughts and feelings. It describes life in the 19th century.
The book contains 31 extraordinary photos. One is a photo of an untitled bronze statue named, “Grief” that marks the graves of Clover and Henry. It is located in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. It’s sad, but people only know she was the wife of Henry Adams and that she killed herself.
Thanks to Natalie Dykstra, we know there was much more to Clover Adams.
February 20, 2012
Born Marian Hooper in 1843, she was nicknamed Clover by her besotted mother, who considered her lucky and adored her. Sadly, she died when Clover was only five and such tragedy followed Clover in her life. She was a young, privileged woman, educated and interested in current events, who had a front row seat to the American Civil War, before embarking on a European Tour. Heading towards her thirties, she married Henry Adams, journalist, author and historian and the grandson and great-grandson of Presidents. She moved with him to Washington, where young, rich and successful, they moved in the centre of the political and social world. They embarked on a tour to Europe and Egypt, returning to Washington for most of their married life. Yet, there was sadness too. The couple remained childless, Henry was distant and became besotted with a younger woman and he was also concerned about Clover's obsession with photography. This leads to the interesting question of how limited Clover was as a woman and whether Henry, effectively, limited her success and refused to allow her public applause for something he saw as a hobby. Clover committed suicide and the book looks at Henry's life after her death and the further tragedies of her family. Interesting book and fascinating woman.
November 22, 2013
This biography builds to its conclusion quite powerfully. I only knew Clover Adams from her memorial, a landmark here in DC despite its out-of-the-beaten-path location. I wept during the last chapter and epilogue, and now I want to walk by the house on H Street, across from Lafayette Park, where Henry and Clover Adams spent their married life. I would also like to view her photographs. Kudos to Dykstra for taking on this project. No one could view the Adams Memorial and not wonder about the woman whose death inspired it.
April 22, 2012
Clover Adams is known, if at all, for two reasons: 1) she was the wife of Henry Adams; 2) she was a suicide. Using three albums of photographs taken by Mrs Adams, Dykstra illuminates a women at the center of American literary life during the second half of the 19th century. I read this book quickly and I will read it again to absorb more detail and to analyze the author's structure in presenting such a well organized story.
May 3, 2013
A very powerful story. Unfortunately Marian (Clover) was destined to fail. It was fascinating to learn of her life, of her photographic efforts, & of her relationship with her husband Henry. I have always loved the statue in Rock Creek Cemetery by Augustus Saint-Gaudens memorializing Clover- so Even though I KNEW what was going to happen the ending made me sad.
July 26, 2021
I picked this book up after reading The Education of Henry Adams, because Henry omits pretty much any reference to Clover in that book. This book not only provides that information, but sheds a lot of light on Henry’s life and activities that I didn’t pick up on in Education. Clover, by all accounts was an intelligent and witty women, though apparently not particularly physically attractive (no pictures apparently available). She was a well-loved and respected hostess in their social circles. While she didn’t marry Henry until she was 28, I believe, they had a close relationship at first, but gradually drifted apart, partly due to Henry’s busy schedule, but seems like Henry did not give her the kind of attention she needed. Henry also seemingly devoted a lot of attention to younger attractive women, though no actual affairs occurred, it did not help their relationship. Her mother died young. Her sister committed suicide and Clover suffered from depression for much of her life, which came to a head when her father, whom she was very close to, died. She withdrew from the social circles almost entirely after that and never recovered, really. She swallowed a chemical she used for photographic development the same year her father died (1885). She was 42 and had been married to Henry for 13 years. Henry rarely mentioned her for 30 years after that. Interesting book, especially enlightening after reading "Education".
September 8, 2022
Not a fast read but an interesting one that warrants a reread of every few pages because there are so many details of Clover’s life as the wife of Henry Adams , her own family , her marriage, her life as a married woman without children , their travels and the family melancholia that haunts both her and other members of her family. An extremely well written and researched book that delves into her life as an artist with her love and practice of photography , her social life and her life as a summer resident of Beverly Farms , Mass. on the sea coast and her home in WashingtonD.C.
October 25, 2019
I really liked this book because of how much detail the author had put into this. Its almost like I can see her thoughts and know exactly how Clover feels. Although the beginning was slightly boring... the part of her marriage got instantly better. It was sad as she went through many emotional phases and eventually killed herself because of her sad thoughts getting the better of her. If she had tried a bit harder I'm sure she could've gotten a fulfilling life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
An interesting story about a person we never hear about! She was the wife of the American historian, Henry Adams who was the grandson of John Quincy Adams and the great-grandson of John Adams. She led a very privileged and exciting life and yet, she committed suicide by drinking a chemical developer from the darkroom where she processed her photos of her contemporaries of the day.
December 30, 2024
Well researched and well written, this was a compelling story. She mines her letter not only for glimpses of Adams's ideas but also for her witty descriptive style. The book includes a few examples of Adams's photographs. The sections on her photography were interesting both for what Adams achieved and for the social history of photography.
August 30, 2017
Interesting by sad story that reveals how difficult it was to be an intelligent, creative woman during late 19th century America. Style was not particularly gripping, but the story of Clover's life is interesting.
January 23, 2020
enjoyed it - I love reading about this time period (19th c). She was interesting....not sure quite interesting enough for an entire book however. And I felt like some of the explanations/interpretations of the motivations behind Clover's photographs were perhaps a bit of a stretch.
February 23, 2020
I first heard of Clover Adams while reading about McClean Hospital and was intrigued to learn of 3 siblings committing suicide. That took me to this book on Clover. I was disappointed there wasn’t more direct informative stories on Clover. There seems to be little on her including photographs.
September 9, 2017
Cultured and rich, Brahmin and boring.
November 19, 2017
Beautifully written and sympathetic. I fell in love with Clover Adams and her family, sad and tragic as they were.
December 13, 2018
I think the author tried to read too much into Clover's writings and photos.
May 28, 2020
A must-read for history buffs!
This book is meticulously researched, and brilliantly written. The author brings Clover Adams back to life — a fascinating, witty, and complex woman.
This book is meticulously researched, and brilliantly written. The author brings Clover Adams back to life — a fascinating, witty, and complex woman.
June 17, 2021
Heartbreaking indeed.
April 28, 2015
Clover Adams is often a footnote in history -- an intelligent socialite of the Gilded Age, the wife of Henry Adams, and a tragic suicide.
But Natalie Dykstra fleshes out Clover Adams into flesh and blood, mind and spirit in "Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life." Not only is her writing exquisite, but she really brings this under-known woman to the light, making you like and appreciate her. She lets us see Clover not as a "wife of," but a person in her own right.
She was born Marian Hooper, to a loving pair of Boston Brahmins. But when her mother died young of tuberculosis, she was raised by a similarly troubled aunt, into a well-educated and intelligent young lady unsure of where her life would go. She came of age during the tumult of the Civil War, and remained unmarried at the then-advanced age of twenty-eight.
Then she wed Henry Adams, the famed historian and great-grandson of John Adams. They travelled the world, and after a few years in Boston, they found their true home in Washington D.C. -- and Clover became a noted socialite and hostess. But despite having a seemingly perfect life, she suddenly committed suicide.
"Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life" is not just a portrait of Clover Adams, but of the milieu that she bloomed and withered in -- great artists and famed personages flit in and out of the story, such as Henry James. She shows us both the rose-scented, gilded surface of the time that Clover lived in, but also some of the ugly raw stuff under the surface (such as the Civil War).
But Clover (and to some degree, Henry) are the center of the story. Clover is shown as a clever, strong woman who found her place in the world through her marriage, but still craved artistic expression -- an outlet for her own brand of intelligence. Dykstra makes you feel her charisma shining through the pages, but also her frustration.
And Dykstra writes it out beautifully, unwinding a long silken ribbon studded with exotic travels, luxurious houses and the elegance of Washington D.C. back when people actually respected the government. Her prose is lush and seems to be infused with faint perfume, with glimpses of how the 1% of the age lived -- you can practically picture how Clover's houses, gardens, dogs and international travels would have lived.
"Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life" is like a nonfiction Edith Wharton story -- and it makes you feel a genuine pang for a very unique, very sad woman.
But Natalie Dykstra fleshes out Clover Adams into flesh and blood, mind and spirit in "Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life." Not only is her writing exquisite, but she really brings this under-known woman to the light, making you like and appreciate her. She lets us see Clover not as a "wife of," but a person in her own right.
She was born Marian Hooper, to a loving pair of Boston Brahmins. But when her mother died young of tuberculosis, she was raised by a similarly troubled aunt, into a well-educated and intelligent young lady unsure of where her life would go. She came of age during the tumult of the Civil War, and remained unmarried at the then-advanced age of twenty-eight.
Then she wed Henry Adams, the famed historian and great-grandson of John Adams. They travelled the world, and after a few years in Boston, they found their true home in Washington D.C. -- and Clover became a noted socialite and hostess. But despite having a seemingly perfect life, she suddenly committed suicide.
"Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life" is not just a portrait of Clover Adams, but of the milieu that she bloomed and withered in -- great artists and famed personages flit in and out of the story, such as Henry James. She shows us both the rose-scented, gilded surface of the time that Clover lived in, but also some of the ugly raw stuff under the surface (such as the Civil War).
But Clover (and to some degree, Henry) are the center of the story. Clover is shown as a clever, strong woman who found her place in the world through her marriage, but still craved artistic expression -- an outlet for her own brand of intelligence. Dykstra makes you feel her charisma shining through the pages, but also her frustration.
And Dykstra writes it out beautifully, unwinding a long silken ribbon studded with exotic travels, luxurious houses and the elegance of Washington D.C. back when people actually respected the government. Her prose is lush and seems to be infused with faint perfume, with glimpses of how the 1% of the age lived -- you can practically picture how Clover's houses, gardens, dogs and international travels would have lived.
"Clover Adams: A Gilded and Heartbreaking Life" is like a nonfiction Edith Wharton story -- and it makes you feel a genuine pang for a very unique, very sad woman.
February 14, 2016
Clover Adams was the wife of historian Henry Adams. Henry was the son of Charles Francis Adams, who was the son of John Quincy Adams, the only one of John and Abigail's sons to survive and prosper. Marian Hooper, nicknamed Clover, was from the prosperous Sturgis-Hooper family around Boston. Clover and Henry's social circle included the Transcendentalists Margaret Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson, architect H. H. Richardson, historian John Hay who served under Lincoln, Henry and William James, and many other prominent Americans of the Civil War and post-war period. Fascinating for its portrayal of the lives of wealthy Americans in the Gilded Age. Who could imagine taking three or four months off in the summer to repair to one's country home, or to ride horseback on the streets of Washington, DC?
Clover was the intellectual equal of her husband but, because of the times, she was not recognized for her abilities or encouraged to develop them. She was an observant and promising writer with a discerning artistic sense. Her talents in making the several homes she and Henry shared, along with welcoming a large circle of friends, were not enough to sustain her. Though Henry married Clover partly because of her intelligence, as a man of his time he opposed women's suffrage and would have felt threatened by any success Clover might have had in the wider world. She eventually took up photography, through which she expressed feelings she could not verbalize. Again, she might have had the opportunity to be recognized for her artistic vision and skill by having a portrait she had taken as a magazine cover, but felt pressured not to allow it.
Having recently read McCullough's biography of John Adams, I found the contrast between the marriage of John and Abigail and that of Clover and Henry striking. Neither Henry nor Clover could express their love for or dependence on the other. The strain of severe depression in Clover's family, combined with the early loss of her mother and aunt and ongoing losses of her siblings and other family members, eventually overcame Clover, and she committed suicide at age 40 after 13 years of marriage. The loss of his wife changed Henry, but he never remarried.
Clover was the intellectual equal of her husband but, because of the times, she was not recognized for her abilities or encouraged to develop them. She was an observant and promising writer with a discerning artistic sense. Her talents in making the several homes she and Henry shared, along with welcoming a large circle of friends, were not enough to sustain her. Though Henry married Clover partly because of her intelligence, as a man of his time he opposed women's suffrage and would have felt threatened by any success Clover might have had in the wider world. She eventually took up photography, through which she expressed feelings she could not verbalize. Again, she might have had the opportunity to be recognized for her artistic vision and skill by having a portrait she had taken as a magazine cover, but felt pressured not to allow it.
Having recently read McCullough's biography of John Adams, I found the contrast between the marriage of John and Abigail and that of Clover and Henry striking. Neither Henry nor Clover could express their love for or dependence on the other. The strain of severe depression in Clover's family, combined with the early loss of her mother and aunt and ongoing losses of her siblings and other family members, eventually overcame Clover, and she committed suicide at age 40 after 13 years of marriage. The loss of his wife changed Henry, but he never remarried.
August 4, 2016
3.6 stars. Sad. A view of a wealthy woman of the pre and post civil war era. A woman with baggage, who rubbed elbows with the most influential literary figures of America. My view of Henry Adams the man and husband softened with this bio. I did think the interpretations of the photos in Clover's albums were a bit over determined, and by the end of the book, tiresome. Overall a well done telling of a difficult story. Angela's 2-star review below hit the nail perfectly in her remarks about lack of support for conclusions drawn about her pictures and about the causes of Clover's depression/ultimate suicide. The strengths of the writing lie in drawing back the curtain on the D.C. of the post-civil war era and in judicious use of quotes of the Adams's closest companions and Henry's writings. Clover's voice is regrettably too faint to hear clearly in regard to her mood disorder, though this is addressed fairly by the author. Her humor is referred to often; more evidence of this would have been a strong pillar of support for conclusions about her character...most of all it might have been more fun reading, though I suspect the author left out much of this to avoid the chill of too much explanation. Dykstra barely opens the question of the place and impact of creative expression in Clover's story before she closes the subject ... Perhaps as Clover did herself. No answers there. Clover's life story may best serve as a case study of multigenerational transmission of depression. I found myself wondering, do currents of depression wax and wane in our collective psychology, impacting history? or vice versa? Could be a chicken and egg problem. Given some cultural context in this work (compliments to the author on her strong history writing/research) I may now be more ready for the works sitting on my list of both James's, William and Henry. In the end, both James's may have spoken to the more profound issues and events which set the course for Clover Adams.
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