(Elizabeth Keckley's rise from slave to White House confidante makes for an involving story that details the cruel and terrible life for those in slavery, and the drive and determination of a woman who would not let others destroy her will. "Behind the Scenes - Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House" provides an honest and accurate portrayal of the life of a Negro both as a slave and as a freed-woman. * * * Elizabeth Keckley was born a slave in 1818. She endured 37 years of hard abuse, including whippings that left her bedridden for days and forced sexual relations (and a resulting pregnancy), before buying freedom for herself and her son through her skills as a Modiste, or dressmaker. * * * Once free, she used her sewing skills to become one of Washington D.C.'s most successful dressmakers. She even worked for Senator Jefferson Davis, the future President of the Confederate States of America. She came to the attention of Mrs. Lincoln through one of her clients, and then became Mrs. Lincoln's exclusive dressmaker, as well as her close confidante. * * * After President Lincoln's assassination she closed her dress shop to care for the first lady, and she lost many valuable customers. Sadly, a misguided attempt to help save Mrs. Lincoln's reputation with the publication of this very book ended the friendship, as Mrs. Lincoln viewed the release of her private conversations and personal letters to be a cruel betrayal of their relationship. * * * They never reconciled.

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