ABIGAIL ADAMS

A veteran biographer (Thomas Jefferson, 1988, etc.) has another winner in this accessible and touching portrait of a strong and resilient ``founding mother.'' Many know the textbook version of the life of Abigail Smith Adams—wife of one president, mother of another, the first ``First Lady'' to live in the White House. Bober succeeds in going beyond timeworn facts and into the rich interior life of an accomplished woman, mining the rich lodes of Adams's extensive diaries and voluminous correspondence. Readers meet a dutiful daughter, thrifty housekeeper, nurturing mother, supportive sister, self-educated reader, passionate wife, wise political strategist, loyal friend, and dedicated and self-sacrificing patriot. Throughout, the intimate dailiness of the account makes Adams real and alive; through her eyes, readers experience the engrossing Revolutionary and early Federal periods and learn of many fascinating personalities, most significantly Adams's husband and son. Impressive. (b&w reproductions, notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 10+)