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Who Was Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and How Did She Influence Emancipation? (With Jennifer Chiaverini)

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Episode notes

Season 1 of "In the Room Where It Happened" focuses on America's defining father, Abraham Lincoln. In the final and fourth episode of the season, former D.C Mayor, Sharon Pratt speaks with New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini. The pair discuss Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker, the role she played in the Lincolns' lives and how she influenced emancipation.


Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including critically acclaimed historical fiction such as “Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker,” “Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters” and “Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth.” In 2020, Jennifer was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association for her novel Resistance Women. In 2023, the WLA awarded her the honor of Notable Wisconsin Author for her significant contributions to the state’s literary heritage.