Author's Program: Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters

Abigail Adams Historical Society (AAHS), stewards of the Abigail Adams Birthplace, presents a special event program, “Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters,” on Sunday, May 18, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the First Church in Weymouth, 17 Church Street, Weymouth. The program features Diane Jacobs, author of the book of the same name, with an appearance by Kathy Chamberlain, a fourth-generation direct descendant of Abigail Adams’s sister Mary Smith Cranch, who served as an expert source for Jacobs’s writings. An author’s reception will follow from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the Abigail Adams Birthplace, 180 Norton Street, Weymouth.

In June of 1776, Abigail Adams wrote in a letter to her sister Mary, “Never sisters loved each other better than we.” Much has been written about the enduring marriage of Abigail and John Adams, but few know of the equally strong bond Abigail shared with her sisters, Mary Cranch and Elizabeth Shaw Peabody, accomplished women in their own right. In Diane Jacobs’s book Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters, the acclaimed biographer reveals their moving story, which unfolds against the stunning backdrop of America in its transformative colonial, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary years. During the program, Jacobs will speak about and sign her book, which will be available on site for purchase.  

Jacobs is also the author of Her Own Woman: The Life of Mary Wollstonecraft; Christmas in July: The Life and Art of Preston Sturges (a New York Times Notable Book of 1992); But We Need the Eggs: The Magic of Woody Allen; and Hollywood Renaissance: The New Generation of Filmmakers and Their Works. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s of Fine Arts from Columbia University. Jacobs has taught at Dartmouth College, the Columbia University School of the Arts, and the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and has contributed to such publications as the New York Times and the Village Voice. Jacobs is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and a fellowship from the Camargo Foundation.

Proceeds from AAHS programs support its mission, which is to commemorate and educate a worldwide audience about the extraordinary life and times of Abigail Smith Adams, and her legacy of service to the country, and to preserve and interpret her Birthplace, where her character and ideals were formed, as a resource and inspiration for all. Society membership and donations are gratefully accepted towards this mission.

Admission to the author’s program is a suggested donation of $5 per person, payable at the door. Admission to the post-event reception at the Birthplace is $20 per person, $15 for AAHS members. To make a reception reservation, please email AAHS1947@yahoo.com, call 781-277-1271, or send a check payable to the Abigail Adams Historical Society to P.O. Box 147, Weymouth, MA 02191. For more information on Abigail Adams Birthplace history, programs, and events, or to schedule a private tour, email AAHS1947@yahoo.com, visit www.abigailadamsbirthplace.com, or follow Abigail Adams Historical Society on Facebook.

About Abigail Adams Historical Society

Abigail Adams Historical Society (AAHS) is dedicated to commemorating and educating a worldwide audience about the extraordinary life and times of Abigail Smith Adams, Weymouth, Massachusetts’s national treasure, and her legacy of service to country; and to preserving and interpreting her birthplace, the place where her character and ideals were formed, as a resource and inspiration for all. AAHS is the steward for the preservation of Abigail Adams’s birthplace and first home, from1744 to her marriage to John Adams in 1764. The Society offers tours of the house and presents programs on this remarkable American, her family, and the era in which she lived. For more information on Abigail Adams Birthplace history, programs, and events, email AAHS1947@yahoo.com, visit www.abigailadamsbirthplace.com, or follow Abigail Adams Historical Society on Facebook.