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Fanny Seward: A Life
On April 14, 1865, the night of President Lincoln's assassination, Booth's conspirator Lewis Powell attempted to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward in his home just blocks from Ford's Theatre. The attack, which left Seward and his son seriously wounded, is recounted in poignant detail in Fanny Seward's diary. Fanny, the beloved only daughter of Seward, was a keen observer, and her diary entries from 1858 to 1866 are the foundation of Krisher's vivid portrait of the young girl who was an eyewitness to one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Fanny offers intimate observations on the politicians, generals, and artists of the time. She tells of attending dinner parties, visiting troops, and going to the theater, often alongside President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary. Through Fanny's writings, Krisher not only skillfully brings to life the events and activities of a progressive political family but also illuminates the day-to-day drama of the war. Giving readers a previously unseen glimpse into the era, Fanny Seward: A Life broadens our understanding of Civil War America.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Trudy Krisher
13 books42 followersTrudy Krisher has a reputation as a talented writer who does not hesitate to explore sensitive issues. She grew up in the South like her heroines Maggie, in Spite Fences, and Pert, in Kinship. Born in Macon, Georgia in 1946, she was raised in South Florida.
Trudy graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English and received her Masters degree from The College of New Jersey. She has three grown children: Laura, Kathy, and Mark. Trudy Krisher lives in Dayton, Ohio, where she is a Professor at Sinclair Community College.
Trudy has won many awards for her writing. They include Best Book for Young Adults selections of the American Library Association; International Reading Association Award; The Jefferson Cup Honor Book of the Virginia Library Association; Parents’ Choice Honor Book; Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award; Amelia Bloomer Project Recommendation; Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year; and Capitol Choice Book.
Trudy graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English and received her Masters degree from The College of New Jersey. She has three grown children: Laura, Kathy, and Mark. Trudy Krisher lives in Dayton, Ohio, where she is a Professor at Sinclair Community College.
Trudy has won many awards for her writing. They include Best Book for Young Adults selections of the American Library Association; International Reading Association Award; The Jefferson Cup Honor Book of the Virginia Library Association; Parents’ Choice Honor Book; Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award; Amelia Bloomer Project Recommendation; Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year; and Capitol Choice Book.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 7, 2016
When historical fiction writer Trudy Krisher read Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin she became interested in Fanny Seward, the beloved daughter of William Seward who was Lincoln's rival for the Republican presidential candidate. He became his closest friend politically and personally. She also read James Swanson's book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. Learning that Fanny Seward had kept a diary and no biography existed, Krisher began her research that culminated in Fanny Seward: A Life.
I was thrilled to see this book title offered on NetGalley, because like Krisher I also was captivated by the assassination attempt on William Seward and by the role his daughter Fanny played in his life.
I was disappointed to learn that Krisher's original manuscript reached 600 pages but found no publisher. She had to halve her book. Early on I had wished to hear more of Fanny's voice through incorporation of her diary entries and writing. Happily these source materials do appear later in the book, especially as relating to the assassination attempt on her father's life.
The Seward family was privileged yet unpretentious, progressive and free-thinking. Frances Seward was an intellectual who preferred the introverted and quiet rural life. She was involved in the Underground Railroad. She knew Elizabeth Cady Stanton who described Frances as having "independence of character". Always in frail health Frances used her illnesses to avoid society.
"A cargo of 300 slaves, wild from Africa, has been landed in Georgia by the sloop “Wanderer”—and the nation is quite stirred up about it. I hope the “stealers of men” will be justly punished, and the poor Africans be restored to their native land." Fanny Seward 1858 diary excerpt
William Seward was outgoing, sanguine, and personable...and "addicted" to politics. Goodwin in Team of Rivals tells how he was the most liberal Abolitionist Republican and assumed he would be nominated for their presidential candidate. He was too liberal, and Lincoln was elected. Seward was offered Secretary of State on Lincoln's Cabinet, and he assumed he would "lead" behind the scenes. Instead Lincoln won Seward's respect and loyalty.
Fanny was plain and conventional, a loving child, an adoring sister. Her family role was that of nurturer. Books were her first love, and writing her second. She wrote plays, poems, and a novel during her short life. Her power of observation and descriptive writing indicates that had she been born in another time perhaps she would have been a journalist.
Her father was publicly conservative about marital happiness, and her mother felt a woman could accomplish more of importance in the world when unmarried. Consequently, Fanny seriously considered writing as a career.
Her parents were often separated, Frances staying in Auburn NY while William lived in Washington D.C. with visits home as he could. Fanny spent a good deal of time with her father and was knowledgeable about all aspects of the Civil War. She visited the camps, the battlefields, and the hospitals. Fanny met national figures, becoming close to Dorothea Dix, superintended of women nurses, and to the renowned actress Charlotte Cushman, an emancipated woman who was also a closeted lesbian.
The biography's climax revolves around the events of April 14, 1865. While John Wilkes Booth and President Lincoln played out their roles in the Ford Theater, embittered Confederate Lewis Powell was lurking outside the Seward home, armed with a gun and a knife. William Seward had suffered massive injuries in a carriage accident, his jaw broken and his arm useless. Fanny had been reading to her father, and had just turned down the light. Seward's nurse Sergeant Robinson was in attendance. Powell was determined to fulfill his role and assassinate the Secretary of State, while a third member of the plot was to murder Vice President Andrew Johnson.
Read the book! I won't give away the story! Except to say that Fanny showed great spirit and selflessness in defending her father, and her actions likely saved his life.
'Blood, blood, my thoughts seemed drenched in it—I seemed to breathe its sickening odor. My dress was stained with it—Mother’s was drabbled with it—it was oneverything. The bed had been covered with blood, the blankets & sheet chopped with several blows of the knife.'
Fanny was never in fine health, and tuberculosis brought an early death at age 21. She was not alive when her father died in 1872. His final words were "Love one another."
I was thrilled to see this book title offered on NetGalley, because like Krisher I also was captivated by the assassination attempt on William Seward and by the role his daughter Fanny played in his life.
I was disappointed to learn that Krisher's original manuscript reached 600 pages but found no publisher. She had to halve her book. Early on I had wished to hear more of Fanny's voice through incorporation of her diary entries and writing. Happily these source materials do appear later in the book, especially as relating to the assassination attempt on her father's life.
The Seward family was privileged yet unpretentious, progressive and free-thinking. Frances Seward was an intellectual who preferred the introverted and quiet rural life. She was involved in the Underground Railroad. She knew Elizabeth Cady Stanton who described Frances as having "independence of character". Always in frail health Frances used her illnesses to avoid society.
"A cargo of 300 slaves, wild from Africa, has been landed in Georgia by the sloop “Wanderer”—and the nation is quite stirred up about it. I hope the “stealers of men” will be justly punished, and the poor Africans be restored to their native land." Fanny Seward 1858 diary excerpt
William Seward was outgoing, sanguine, and personable...and "addicted" to politics. Goodwin in Team of Rivals tells how he was the most liberal Abolitionist Republican and assumed he would be nominated for their presidential candidate. He was too liberal, and Lincoln was elected. Seward was offered Secretary of State on Lincoln's Cabinet, and he assumed he would "lead" behind the scenes. Instead Lincoln won Seward's respect and loyalty.
Fanny was plain and conventional, a loving child, an adoring sister. Her family role was that of nurturer. Books were her first love, and writing her second. She wrote plays, poems, and a novel during her short life. Her power of observation and descriptive writing indicates that had she been born in another time perhaps she would have been a journalist.
Her father was publicly conservative about marital happiness, and her mother felt a woman could accomplish more of importance in the world when unmarried. Consequently, Fanny seriously considered writing as a career.
Her parents were often separated, Frances staying in Auburn NY while William lived in Washington D.C. with visits home as he could. Fanny spent a good deal of time with her father and was knowledgeable about all aspects of the Civil War. She visited the camps, the battlefields, and the hospitals. Fanny met national figures, becoming close to Dorothea Dix, superintended of women nurses, and to the renowned actress Charlotte Cushman, an emancipated woman who was also a closeted lesbian.
The biography's climax revolves around the events of April 14, 1865. While John Wilkes Booth and President Lincoln played out their roles in the Ford Theater, embittered Confederate Lewis Powell was lurking outside the Seward home, armed with a gun and a knife. William Seward had suffered massive injuries in a carriage accident, his jaw broken and his arm useless. Fanny had been reading to her father, and had just turned down the light. Seward's nurse Sergeant Robinson was in attendance. Powell was determined to fulfill his role and assassinate the Secretary of State, while a third member of the plot was to murder Vice President Andrew Johnson.
Read the book! I won't give away the story! Except to say that Fanny showed great spirit and selflessness in defending her father, and her actions likely saved his life.
'Blood, blood, my thoughts seemed drenched in it—I seemed to breathe its sickening odor. My dress was stained with it—Mother’s was drabbled with it—it was oneverything. The bed had been covered with blood, the blankets & sheet chopped with several blows of the knife.'
Fanny was never in fine health, and tuberculosis brought an early death at age 21. She was not alive when her father died in 1872. His final words were "Love one another."
December 29, 2014
This is the non-fictional account of the life of Fanny Seward, the daughter of William Henry Seward. William Seward was Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of State who survived an assassination attempt on the same night that the beloved president was killed. She was at her father’s bedside during this horrific act. Not only was her father stabbed but four other household members, including her two brothers, were seriously injured. She was only 21 years old at the time and her actions and assistance were crucial in saving her father’s life.
Trudy Krisher uses Fanny’s diary entries and letters that were written to flesh out Ms. Seward’s life. She was the fourth and last child of William and Frances Seward and the only surviving girl. She had a very close and loving relationship with her entire family but she was especially close to her father. After William Seward became Secretary of State, she divided her time between the family home in Auburn with her mother who’s health was precarious and her father in Washington. Although her health was also perilous, she offered her father great support during the Civil War and was an eye witness to many of the history changing events that occurred.
I greatly appreciated the time and effort Trudy Krisher took fleshing out Fanny’s life. The book is well written and fascinating. It reads more like a novel than a boring history book. She not only covers Fanny’s life but also relates it to the historic events of the day. It is a refreshing and unique view of the years between 1844 to 1866. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in digging deeper into the era.
Trudy Krisher uses Fanny’s diary entries and letters that were written to flesh out Ms. Seward’s life. She was the fourth and last child of William and Frances Seward and the only surviving girl. She had a very close and loving relationship with her entire family but she was especially close to her father. After William Seward became Secretary of State, she divided her time between the family home in Auburn with her mother who’s health was precarious and her father in Washington. Although her health was also perilous, she offered her father great support during the Civil War and was an eye witness to many of the history changing events that occurred.
I greatly appreciated the time and effort Trudy Krisher took fleshing out Fanny’s life. The book is well written and fascinating. It reads more like a novel than a boring history book. She not only covers Fanny’s life but also relates it to the historic events of the day. It is a refreshing and unique view of the years between 1844 to 1866. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in digging deeper into the era.
March 6, 2022
I absolutely loved this book and I cannot say enough good things about it. It tells of Fanny Seward's life and that of her families and those prominent political figures surrounding her like Abraham Lincoln. It talks of the troops and their battles as well as those involved with the assassination of President Lincoln and the man who tried to kill Fanny's Father Henry Seward. You learn about different generals on the battle fields too and many details about their personalities which I think is so fascinating. This book just really draws you into the world of Fanny Seward and you feel like you really get to know them. I first heard of Fanny from Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and I had to know more. I am sad that this book is not longer because I absolutely devoured it. I read the acknowledgments towards the back of the book and it says the author Trudy Krisher actually had wrote a book over 600 pages but it had to be cut so a publisher would work on it. This makes me sad because I could not get enough of this topic. Trudy if you read this review please write more on the Seward family. I would love to know more about her mother Frances Seward or really anyone in her life. In the acknowledgements you mentioned there was so much more information that could be told and I would love if you would tell it. The writing style of Trudy Krisher is so easy to read. I just am absolutely in love with this book. I have to say its now one of my favorite books ever!
February 9, 2015
Just finished this book and loved it!!! Seeing the events around the Civil War, Lincoln presidency & assassination from the perspective of a young girl provides an interesting and new perspective on this notorious time in history. Well written and researched - great & unique book.
October 23, 2022
I appreciated the facts. I cannot abide a biographer that pieces together disparate events with speculations.
January 13, 2024
A good biography about the life of Fanny Seward based on her diaries. The book is well written and documented on the events surrounding her short life and the history of the country.
March 31, 2015
Trudy Krisher acknowledges that her father, who had a passion for the Civil War, prepared her for the task of writing about Fanny Seward. As a child, Krisher visited many Civil War battlefields and monuments with her family. She learned anecdotes and details about generals, their troops, and their battles. But it wasn't until she read Team of Rivals by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin that she began to learn about Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, William Henry Seward, and his daughter, Fanny (Frances Adeline Seward).
Now better known for his visionary efforts to complete the United States' purchase of the Alaska Territory (which was loudly criticized as "Seward's Folly"), William Seward had run hard against Lincoln for the Republican nomination in 1860. But when Seward lost the nomination to Lincoln, he campaigned hard on behalf of his former opponent, despite his deep disappointment. For his part, Lincoln recognized in Seward a man of integrity, and his appointment to Lincoln's cabinet proved to be a solid and important choice.
Like Lincoln, Seward was a doting father as well as a canny politician. He had three good sons, but his daughter was the apple of his eye, so he took teenaged Fanny and her friend along when he made a month-long campaign tour on Lincoln's behalf. This was just part of Fanny's remarkable exposure to important people and events, which she carefully noted in the diaries she kept from the age of fourteen until her untimely death just eight years later in 1866.
As Krisher studied the Seward family, she saw that bits of information about Fanny kept "peeping out" of other people's stories. She soon found she had a question that would not let her go. "What was it like to be the daughter of Lincoln's Secretary of State, so close to the anxieties—and dangers—of Civil War America?"
When Krisher read the microfilmed diaries, which have never been published in their entirety, she was captivated by Fanny and began to dig deeper to understand the girl and her experiences. Among those experiences, the most dramatic is surely Fanny's presence at the assassination attempt on her father, which was part of the plot that dealt Lincoln a fatal wound in Ford's Theater. But there is much more, including friendships with the Underground Railroad's Harriet Tubman and the humanitarian and activist Dorothea Dix. Fanny was well acquainted with the Union players in the unfolding drama of the Civil War, and as she grew into a young woman, developed a remarkably personal connection with many of them.
Fanny Seward camped on battlefields and worked in military hospitals. She saw terrible suffering and great heroism, and did her part to help. Yet she was a shy, sensitive, and awkward girl who rather slowly developed a more sophisticated understanding of the world around her. She was also a girl who loved to read and write, and though it would have been quite unusual in her time, Krisher believes that if she had lived she might well have gone on to a writing career. Certainly her diaries provide significant information, and though more of her writings might have been included in this biography, the quotations do give us hints of her intelligence, wit, and devotion to her family.
In telling Fanny's story, Trudy Krisher reveals the growth of a young American woman and puts it into a fascinating personal and historical context. The style reflects her experience as an author for young adults, yet she has created an engaging work for any reader interested in a fresh view of dramatic events in our national history. Fannie Seward: A Life deserves to be widely read, and Fanny Seward deserves to be remembered.
by Susan Schoch
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Now better known for his visionary efforts to complete the United States' purchase of the Alaska Territory (which was loudly criticized as "Seward's Folly"), William Seward had run hard against Lincoln for the Republican nomination in 1860. But when Seward lost the nomination to Lincoln, he campaigned hard on behalf of his former opponent, despite his deep disappointment. For his part, Lincoln recognized in Seward a man of integrity, and his appointment to Lincoln's cabinet proved to be a solid and important choice.
Like Lincoln, Seward was a doting father as well as a canny politician. He had three good sons, but his daughter was the apple of his eye, so he took teenaged Fanny and her friend along when he made a month-long campaign tour on Lincoln's behalf. This was just part of Fanny's remarkable exposure to important people and events, which she carefully noted in the diaries she kept from the age of fourteen until her untimely death just eight years later in 1866.
As Krisher studied the Seward family, she saw that bits of information about Fanny kept "peeping out" of other people's stories. She soon found she had a question that would not let her go. "What was it like to be the daughter of Lincoln's Secretary of State, so close to the anxieties—and dangers—of Civil War America?"
When Krisher read the microfilmed diaries, which have never been published in their entirety, she was captivated by Fanny and began to dig deeper to understand the girl and her experiences. Among those experiences, the most dramatic is surely Fanny's presence at the assassination attempt on her father, which was part of the plot that dealt Lincoln a fatal wound in Ford's Theater. But there is much more, including friendships with the Underground Railroad's Harriet Tubman and the humanitarian and activist Dorothea Dix. Fanny was well acquainted with the Union players in the unfolding drama of the Civil War, and as she grew into a young woman, developed a remarkably personal connection with many of them.
Fanny Seward camped on battlefields and worked in military hospitals. She saw terrible suffering and great heroism, and did her part to help. Yet she was a shy, sensitive, and awkward girl who rather slowly developed a more sophisticated understanding of the world around her. She was also a girl who loved to read and write, and though it would have been quite unusual in her time, Krisher believes that if she had lived she might well have gone on to a writing career. Certainly her diaries provide significant information, and though more of her writings might have been included in this biography, the quotations do give us hints of her intelligence, wit, and devotion to her family.
In telling Fanny's story, Trudy Krisher reveals the growth of a young American woman and puts it into a fascinating personal and historical context. The style reflects her experience as an author for young adults, yet she has created an engaging work for any reader interested in a fresh view of dramatic events in our national history. Fannie Seward: A Life deserves to be widely read, and Fanny Seward deserves to be remembered.
by Susan Schoch
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
November 11, 2015
The diary of Fanny Seward offers a very unique perspective of the civil war and was the basis for this, her first biography. Her father as Secretary of State, allowed Fanny to observe Washington society and record history in the making for our benefit and pleasure. Their close relationship provided her with knowledge of people and events that she recorded and has now been made available to the public through the publication of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to those interested in the life of 19th century women, and in the life of William Seward & his family.
http://www.readtowrite.org
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to those interested in the life of 19th century women, and in the life of William Seward & his family.
http://www.readtowrite.org
March 4, 2015
I really enjoyed learning about the Civil War through the eyes of this young girl. I so appreciate the art of writing a diary. Without her diary, we would not likely get to know Fanny, since she was such a quiet, reserved girl. Ms. Krisher did a beautiful job using letters and diary entries to recreate Fanny's life. I gained a better understanding of this time period, learning many new facts, including the whole story of the assassination attempt on William Henry Seward. Thank you to Ms. Krisher for a clearly written and entertaining biography of a previously unknown figure! I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates getting a new perspective on historical events.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews