Mary Lincoln: Biography of a Marriage - Ruth Painter P. Randall - Hardcover Book

I found this book different from others written about Mary Todd Lincoln (MTL) in that the author labored vigorously to refute many of the criticisms of MTL. This is a very long book, perhaps it took a long time to dispel criticisms and myths. A friend asked me how this book read being over 500 pages, my reply was that is waxes and wanes. I confess I skimmed many pages. I grew up in Illinois in Logan and Macon counties and in my childhood Lincoln was greatly revered, school trips and FHA field trips were almost always to New Salem or Springfield to learn about our great statesman. MTL was seldom mentioned and when she was, it was to say she had “mental” problems. Randall did convince me that Mary was more than just a blip on the page of Lincoln’s life, that she was a main player in his personal and political life and that he loved her deeply, as she did him.