Double dose of Mary Lincoln with best-selling author on Oct. 1

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will offer a double dose of Mary Lincoln on Oct. 1 when best-selling author Lois Romano discusses her Mary Lincoln biography in the afternoon at the Conference on Illinois History and then again for a general audience in the evening.

Romano, a former columnist for The Washington Post and Politico, is the author of “An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln.” The book was hailed by The New Yorker as a “gripping, balanced, and long-overdue reassessment” of the much-maligned wife of Abraham Lincoln. The Wall Street Journal said Romano “sets the record straight” about Mary Lincoln. The New York Times said, “Romano deserves praise for granting her, at long last, a measure of grace.”

Much of the research for “An Inconvenient Widow” was conducted at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which houses important Mary Lincoln letters, as well as photographs and artifacts from her life. 

Romano will discuss her book first with participants in the annual Conference on Illinois History at noon in a conversation moderated by ALPLM Executive Director Christina Shutt. They will examine the research that went into the book, the complexities of interpreting historical figures and why Mary Lincoln’s story continues to resonate today.

Then at 6:30, she will offer a free presentation that focuses more on her conclusions about Mary Lincoln’s life, the many tragedies she lived through and the toll that took on her mental health. She’ll also discuss the laws that allowed Mary Lincoln’s son, Robert, to have her committed to an asylum for several months in 1875. Romano will talk with Randy Eccles, general manager of NPR Illinois, before taking questions from the audience.

Romano will sign copies of her book, which can be purchased in advance or at the event, after the Q&A. There will also be a pop-up display of Mary Lincoln letters and artifacts.

Information about both her appearances can be found at www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov/events.

“Lois Romano has produced an important new look at the life of a woman who was fascinating in her own right and also was key to the life of Abraham Lincoln. We’re happy that we can give the public two opportunities to hear from Romano about her research and her conclusions,” said Shutt, the ALPLM executive director.

The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.

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