First Family: Abigail and John Adams

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In this rich and engrossing account, John and Abigail Adams come to life against the backdrop of the Republic's tenuous early years. Drawing on over 1,200 letters exchanged between the couple, Ellis tells a story both personal and panoramic. We learn about the many years Abigail and John spent apart as John's political career sent him first to Philadelphia, then to Paris and Amsterdam; their relationship with their children; and Abigail's role as John's closest and most valued advisor. Exquisitely researched and beautifully written, First Family is both a revealing portrait of a marriage and a unique study of America's early years.

Reviews

Written with the grace and style one expects from Ellis. . . . John Adams could not have a better biographer. The Los Angeles Times

Authoritative. . . . Ellis employs his narrative gifts to draw a remarkably intimate portrait of John and Abigails marriage asit played out against the momentous events that marked the birth of a nation. Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

A brilliant book. . . . Provocatively interpretive, carefully researched, and gracefully written. Providence Journal

A stirring portrait of a marriage. First Family reminds us that in certain presidencies (FDR and Clinton spring to mind), there is no closer adviser than a brilliant spouse, improving the thoughts of her husband, often before he has even conceived them. The Boston Globe

Engaging. . . . Ellis does a marvelous job of capturing Abigail and John at their boldest and most vulnerable. . . . He possesses a rare understanding of human nature. In First Family, he has given us the story of a marriage worth emulating and, not least, a subtle reflection on the perils of parenting. Chicago Tribune

Richly detailed. . . . Erudite as well as eloquent, First Family proves that bedfellows can make superior politics. Richmond Times-Dispatch

Author Bio

JOSEPH J. ELLISis the Pulitzer Prizewinning author ofFounding Brothers.His portrait of Thomas Jefferson,American Sphinx,won the National Book Award.He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with his wife, Ellen, his youngest son, three dogs, and a cat.