“This First Ladies' portrait was a positive reflection on the lives of culturally, educationally, and emotionally diverse women. It served as a brief peek into the past.”
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- Rich Tisdale
- May 7, 2026
- 3:06 pm
- 0 comments
Carol L.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“This First Ladies' portrait was a positive reflection on the lives of culturally, educationally, and emotionally diverse women. It served as a brief peek into the past.”
-Carol L.
"A delightful read. Fashion has always made a statement and the first ladies' clothing reflects not only their tastes but the times they lived in. These short stories featuring specific items such as a hat or an apron, gowns or jewelry, are both amusing and enlightening. Hats off to author and presidential historian Feather Schwartz Foster!"
-Karen L. Schnitzspahn, author of Remarkable Women of the New Jersey Shore and other books.
“Dive into these charming and well-researched biographies and meet our national grandmothers…A very enjoyable and informative read!”
-Libby McNamee, author of Dolley Madison, the War of 1812”
"There are few contemporary chroniclers of America's first ladies more adept than Feather Schwartz Foster. Her ability to penetrate the obvious and predictable has made for some endearing and revealing profiles. How comes her latest, Mary Lincoln's Flannel Pajamas and other stories from the First Ladies' Closet, which takes the reader deep into the persona of the women who shared their husbands (and others) with history. It's a warm and insightful look behind the scenes. You'll never again think the same of first ladies."
-Chip Bishop, author of Quentin and Flora and New York Times Bestseller The Lion and the Journalist
“Feather Schwartz Foster's book "The First Ladies" delivered a sampling of these personalities revealing both their high and low points. With a delightful sense of humor, she reminds us that they were, indeed, human…”
-Diane Evans
“It wasn't a book of dry historical facts but rather a glimpse into the life and personality of each woman. I found it fascinating.”
-Riva’s Reviews
“No dusty history here!”
-Ron Shafer, author of The Carnival Campaign
“The book is useful as a basic reference, and is entertaining for the brief stories and postscripts that encapsulate each of its main characters.”
-Barbara McLennan
"I found the stories from the First Ladies' Closet fascinating and entertaining. Fashions pertaining to First Ladies are intriguing. These fun-loving stories of the world of fashion of First Ladies are insightful and are sure to make you smile!"
-Farron W. Smith, Founder, Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation & Museum
"Feather Schwartz Foster has written a unique and enjoyable book in which the personalities and demeanor of the First Ladies comes into sharp focus. Reading Foster's well-written and engaging stories about the clothing of presidential wives creates an intimate bond between the reader and these remarkable women, who lived at the center of American history. This book combines presidential and First Lady history with fashion and clothing choices, and in the process breathes new life and vibrancy into women who are sometimes forgotten or viewed as distant historical figures. And significantly, Foster's unique contribution to the literature of First Lady history also opens windows of insight into the lives of the presidents."
-Farron W. Smith, Founder, Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation & Museum