The First Ladies; From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America

Naperville, IL: Cumberland House, 2011. First Printing [Stated]. Trade paperback. Very good. ix, [1], 176, [6] pages. Illustrations. Inscribed by author on half-title page. Author's Note. Bibliography. Signed by the author sticker on front cover. Feather Schwartz Foster has been an independent writer of Presidential and First Ladies history for more than a decade, with a personal library of more than 1,500 president and president-related volumes collected over the last forty years. Her first book, LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities was published in 2003, followed by Garfield's Train, A Novel. Her latest book, The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America, was published in 2011. She has made more than 300 personal appearances, including dozens of radio and television interviews. This includes lectures at the New Jersey State Historical Society, various city and state historical organizations, several Daughters of the American Revolution chapters and private groups. She has been a featured speaker multiple times at the Hennage Auditorium in Colonial Williamsburg. In 2013, she was featured on C-SPAN's major two-year First Ladies Series, and is included in C-SPAN 's summary book on the subject, "FIRST LADIES: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women." She has also participated as a guest speaker at the 19th National War of 1812 Symposium held at the University of Baltimore, in October, 2015. She is a former founding member of the New Jersey Writers Society, and is currently a member of the Chesapeake Bay Writers Club, the Virginia Writers Assn., and Biographers International Organization. As a young nation grew into its own, it was not just the presidents who led the way. The remarkable women of the White House, often neglected by history, had a heavy hand in the shaping of America. The earliest First Ladies of the United States left countless untold legacies behind after their role at the White House was over. Decidedly different from their modern day counterparts, the nation's first presidential wives made their impact not in terms of political policy or broad social and civic service, but instead with unique, personal, and often long-lasting accomplishments. "Read the unforgettable stories of how: " Martha Washington set the tone for First Ladies and walked the fine line between royal pretension and republican accessibility. Sarah Polk worked diligently, constantly giving the high office her utmost attention. Julia Grant not only adapted to the ups and downs of her husband's political career, but flourished wherever she landed. And it was Nellie Taft's ambition that ultimately led her husband to the presidency.