Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Chiaverini's book is based on the memoir of Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave who bought her own freedom and rose to become Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker. As fiction, it is a dismal failure. The characters are poorly developed, especially Mrs. Keckley's friends. There are long passages of summarized history throughout. The dramatic tension of good fiction is lacking. The author can't seem to decide if she is writing history or fiction. As a result, she fails at both. You may notice that the original memoir, written by Keckley herself, is more highly rated on Amazon than this warmed-over version. Black woman writes outstanding book. Nobody notices until bestselling white author rewrites it. A sad commentary on the realities of publishing.