Wife of a U.S. President, Abigail Adams is my Captivating Character of February. An ardent Patriot, a supportive wife, and a caring and wise mother, she cherishes freedom and advocates for women. She is her husband’s closest friend and confidant and a forward-thinking woman..

Carol’s Captivating Characters of February Link-Up

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

On the last Friday of the month, I will write a post about my most captivating character of the month and create a Link Party (see link below my review)! In addition to hearing about the memorable characters that have captivated you, I also want this new project to facilitate new bookish friendships, help you find your book twin, and promote blog engagement. This link party will stay active for 30 days. In exchange for linking your post back to this one, I promise to visit every blog post that links up, leave a comment, and share your post once on #bookx and #booksky.

Captivating Character Link Up Details:

1. You can use fictional or real characters/persons.
2. Link up a review that specifically highlights a captivating character or person, or write a post dedicated to your most captivating character or person of the month.
3. Please include a link back to this (monthly) post.
4. Be kind: visit one other post in the link-up and leave a comment.
5. #CaptivatingCharacters26

No blog? No problem! Share your most captivating character of the month in the comments.

I appreciate my loyal supporters, Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog (I read it Joanne and love Tilly!) and H.C. @ The Irresponsible Reader and Laura @ Reading Books Again for linking up with me in January. Check out their posts!

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Abigail

Name of Captivating Character: Abigail Adams
The reason she is captivating: resilient, brave, courageous, hopeful, determined, compassionate, committed to a cause, independent, forward-thinking
Book and Author: A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (Pub Date: 5/5/2026)
Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Biographical Fiction (1765-1817) U.S. History, U.S. Presidents (Founders), Founding Families, Massachusetts (and surrounding areas)
Mood: informational
Content Considerations: death of child, grief, cancer, alcoholism, medical content

Told from a first person point of view and reading like a memoir, A Founding Mother is the compelling story of Abigail Adams, wife of U.S. President John Adams.

She is a fascinating woman for a myriad of reasons. She is independent, strong-minded, and resilient as she maintains the household and supports herself while her husband is away for months and years at a time. She endures the loss of two young children (one a toddler and one stillborn) and the loss of two adult children. Abigail and John Adams share a deep love, but there are times when separation and grief tests their commitment. She is a forward-thinker who prioritizes the well-being of her family, friends, and neighbors. In spite of many hardships and obstacles, she persists.

One of the most interesting aspects of Abigail’s life is that she was an early and often outspoken supporter of women’s rights. John Adams admired and respected Abigail for her leadership and ideas, and he looked to her for advice. He was not threatened in any way by a strong woman.

“‘My good man trusts me to do as I think best.’ Which was the reason I married him.”

Ways that Abigail showed her strength include maintaining the home and farm when John was away, supporting herself and the children when John was in Europe for years, and securing her financial future. All remarkable feats in the 1700s. She showed particular (mental and physical) strength in maintaining the farm and doing much of the hard labor herself. She was frugal and innovative in her financial dealings. In fact, Abigail sold the items John sent her from Europe and established a fine side business for herself. A male relative helped her invest her money and buy land, things she couldn’t do as a woman. She was brilliant in working around the system that was meant to suppress her. In fact, at the end of her life and after years of investing, John was astounded at her financial wealth! He was clueless about her wheeling and dealing throughout their marriage! In a final effort to support the women in her life, she left all of her money to her female relatives (with John’s blessing).

Abigail and John Adams cared deeply for their new country, and they sacrificed a great deal in their lifelong service. Patriotism was their highest value. At times, this concerned me because their children were sometimes shorted. I say this from a modern perspective, certain that Abigail and John Adams followed the customs and norms of their time in caring for their children.

Reading this well-researched account of Abigail’s life left me amazed by her accomplishments, inspired by her strength, and sad for the losses she endured. She was a lifelong advocate for women, assumed responsibility for children at risk, championed education, and generously donated money, resources, and time to the community. She lived “outside the box” and wasn’t afraid of nontraditional roles. Abigail Adams is a remarkable and memorable woman. I am a fan! (Don’t miss the author’s notes.)

“The Lord has given us this one life to sow goodness for mankind, even if we don’t live long enough to partake of that harvest. It is all for a purpose. None of it for naught.”

Content Considerations: death of a child, grief, cancer, alcoholism, medical content

Thanks #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks for a complimentary eARC of #AFoundingMother upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Star Rating: 5 Stars

Meet the Authors of A Founding Mother, Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into ten languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. She lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction, Laura Kamoie has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction. She is the author of AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER, MY DEAR HAMILTON, and RIBBONS OF SCARLET, allowing her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Her upcoming novel, CHURCHILL’S SPYMISTRESS, is about SOE officer Vera Atkins and two of her spies in Occupied France during WWII. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters. http://www.LauraKamoie.com

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I KNOW you’ve encountered some fascinating and interesting characters this month! Share them with us by linking up your review post!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter!

(this link party is open for 30 days)

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“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for reading bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, teaching, and connection. Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley

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