Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker - Review and Giveaway!

I was recently asked to review Jennifer Chiaverini's new book, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker.  This is this first book that she's written that is not part of the Elm Creek Quilts series, which we all know and love!  I was curious to see if her writing style would \be different when taking on a more serious topic, and it was definitely a change from what I was used to!

While the book is not one that I couldn't put down, like the Elm Creek novels, I'm enjoying it in a different way than her other books.  This brief synopsis of the book came from Amazon:

In March 1861, Mrs. Lincoln chose Keckley from among a number of applicants to be her personal “modiste,” responsible not only for creating the First Lady’s gowns, but also for dressing Mrs. Lincoln in the beautiful attire Keckley had fashioned. The relationship between the two women quickly evolved, as Keckley was drawn into the intimate life of the Lincoln family, supporting Mary Todd Lincoln in the loss of first her son, and then her husband to the assassination that stunned the nation and the world.

Elizabeth Keckley, a freed black woman, was a seamstress to many of Washington's elite.  Her work came to the attention of Mrs. Lincoln and she was hired as her personal seamstress. The book chronicles her life with the Lincolns as she becomes a confidante of the first lady and a friend to the president.

I'll admit, I'm not yet finished the book as it is a much slower read than her previous books and I've had a hard time remaining interested in the subject. To me it reads more as a history book than it does as women's fiction.  I haven't connected with the characters. I'm looking forward to hearing what others have to say about the book!

If you've stayed with me this far, please leave a comment...as soon as I finish the book, I'll randomly select someone to share this book with! (US comments only!)