Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage
John and Abigail Adams were married for 54 years. There are, of course, numerous biographies of each of them, but this is the first full-length joint biography. Gelles’ focus here is on the relationship, even partnership, between two highly intelligent, strong-willed individuals. Although Gelles places them within the context of the great events swirling around them, this is a rather intimate, small-scale account. Gelles does not break any new ground. Based substantially on correspondence, the portraits of John and Abigail are familiar: John brilliant, principled, and often inflexible; Abigail his intellectual match and a complement to him, with a calmer demeanor and better social skills. To her credit, Gelles does not try to inflate Abigail’s influence on public policies. Despite her independent spirit and occasional suggestions to “remember the ladies,” this was essentially an eighteenth-century marriage, with Abigail concerned with domestic affairs as she endured long periods of separation from her husband. Still, this is a fine, well-documented examination of a long, successful partnership. --Jay Freeman