Behind the Scenes
Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · July 26, 2005
Originally published in 1868—when it was attacked as an “indecent book” authored by a “traitorous eavesdropper”—Behind the Scenes is the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who began her life as a slave and became a privileged witness to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
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- Who it’s for
- A candid blend of slave narrative and political memoir, told from near Lincoln’s White House.
- Themes
- Slavery and freedom, Political memoir, Friendship and confidences
- Genres
- Black & African American Lives, Civil War Era, Presidents & World Leaders
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For younger readers: Bloody Times, Hang a Thousand Trees With Ribbons, A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Originally published in 1868—when it was attacked as an “indecent book” authored by a “traitorous eavesdropper”—Behind the Scenes is the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who began her life as a slave and became a privileged witness to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
Continue reading
Keckley bought her freedom at the age of thirty-seven and set up a successful dressmaking business in Washington, D.C. She became modiste to Mary Todd Lincoln and in time her friend and confidante, a relationship that continued after Lincoln’s assassination. In documenting that friendship—often using the First Lady’s own letters—Behind the Scenes fuses the slave narrative with the political memoir. It remains extraordinary for its poignancy, candor, and historical perspective. - First time in Penguin Classics
Witness and Candor
A candid blend of slave narrative and political memoir, told from near Lincoln’s White House.
Come here for
- Keckley’s path from enslavement to freedom and a successful dressmaking business
- A close view of Mary Todd Lincoln, shaped by friendship and her letters
Expect
- Poignancy, candor, and a distinctive historical perspective
- A book that drew fierce criticism when first published
Where it sits
| Black & African American Lives | 82% |
|---|---|
| Civil War Era | 75% |
| Presidents & World Leaders | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Lives in History
- Women's Lives
- Civil War Era
- Authors
- Elizabeth Keckley
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- July 26, 2005
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Slavery and freedom · Political memoir · Friendship and confidences
- Reading lane
- Lives in History