LOUISA: The Life of Mrs. John Quincy Adams

Louisa Johnson Adams shared, for fifty years, the life of the man destined to become our sixth president. Her social graces were of great benefit to John Quincy Adams as he served as a minister at the courts of Prussia, Russia and England as well as during his tenure as Secretary of State under James Monroe. His insistence on doing his duty as he saw it led to his making powerful political enemies. The tranquil home life provided by Mrs. Adams and shared with their three sons is shown as an essential element in his effective work as a diplomat and politician. History is made vivid as it shapes the life and career of the Adams family. The time span of this biography is from the Revolutionary War of 1812 and the acquisition of the Spanish territories are described through their effect on this excellent wife and mother and her family. The book suffers only occasionally from contrived dialogue. It is popular in approach and a reasonable effort to combine biography and history.