... best-of-all-biographies of Abigail Adams... American Historical Review
Portia, a new study of Abigail Adamsmodern feminisms favorite Founding Motheris a refreshing change of pace. San Francisco Chronicle
... very well done, highly perceptive, and full of fresh ideas. Wilson Library Bulletin
... Adamss strength, courage, and wit (as well as her bouts of depression and gender conservatism) emerge more fully than they have in any previous work.... a well-rounded portrait of a remarkable figure. Choice
In this important and fascinating biography, Edith Gelles not only restores Abigail Adams to her rightful place at the center of her own story, she challenges the creaky conventions of traditional male-defined biography. Susan Faludi, author of Backlash
Portia, the first woman-centered biography of Abigail Adams, details the issues, events, and relationships of Adamss life. It is as much a social and cultural history of Adamss time as it is her life story.
