A Rose for Mrs. Lincoln

[L Verge]

While we are busy debating on another thread as to whether or not Lincoln loved Ann Rutledge better than Mary Todd or if he preferred male companionship overall, I decided to go out on another tangent.

Is anyone familiar with a biography of Mrs. Lincoln written in 1970 by Dawn Langley Simmons and entitled A Rose for Mrs. Lincoln? Try as I may, I cannot find sample pages or a review of it, only a mention that it is sympathetic to Mary.

I stumbled across reference to it while trying to find more information on the Mary Todd Lincoln garden rose (she also has a lemon yellow daylily named after her). The roses also led me to the White House gift shop where the First Lady's china pattern has been reproduced. See whitehousegiftsandapparel.com

I also found this very appropriate description of Mrs. Lincoln's Red Rose:

"Red Rose"

The red rose, symbolic of love and desire, embodies Mary Todd Lincoln’s vivacious and impulsive personality. Her life was one of triumph combined with tragedy, just as the beauty of the rose is tempered by its thorns.

[LincolnToddFan]

Hi Laurie, I haven't heard of that but I would love to read it. I am fascinated by MTL's life...one third fairy tale, two thirds Kafka-esque nightmare.

I think I remember reading when I first joined the Forum that a couple of members here were writing a new book about her?

[Linda Anderson]

I also found this very appropriate description of Mrs. Lincoln's Red Rose:

"Red Rose"

The red rose, symbolic of love and desire, embodies Mary Todd Lincoln’s vivacious and impulsive personality. Her life was one of triumph combined with tragedy, just as the beauty of the rose is tempered by its thorns.

Odd that you should post that information now, Laurie, since Roger just posted a link to an Abraham Lincoln "quote" on Post 572 on the Trivial Trivia thread.

The quote ascribed to Lincoln is, "You can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

http://dannielsen.com/2013/11/27/thorns-and-roses/

Maybe that's all we need to know about the Lincolns' relationship.

[LincolnToddFan]

Linda...I agree with you. ONE HUNDRED PER CENT agree with you. It's perfect for Abraham and Mary Lincoln. I think historians have underestimated the extent to which AL might have loved MTL because of her flaws, not inspite of them.

Thank you!!

[L Verge]

That would certainly suffice for me, Linda. I'm starting to feel like a peeping Tom reading all those other posts regarding their private lives. It is only interesting to a point...

---

Here's another interesting site in reference to Mrs. Lincoln's love of flowers in general:

http://www.pinterest.com/MaryToddLincoln...d-lincoln/

[LincolnToddFan]

LOL!! Laurie! honestly I am starting to feel like a sort of ***** as well. But it's like a fascinating 3-4 car pile up...I can't look away!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Lovely link, Laurie, thanks!

[Gene C]

Odd that you should post that information now, Laurie, since Roger just posted a link to an Abraham Lincoln "quote" on Post 572 on the Trivial Trivia thread.

The quote ascribed to Lincoln is, "You can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

I need to remember that quote next time I goof up at home.
(which means I'll be using it this week )

[Gene C]

Well, that didn't take me long....And she'd seen the quote before on facebook. Fortunately I remembered my backup Lincoln quote.
"Where would you like to go for dinner tonight, dear?"

[LincolnToddFan]

Way to go, Gene!!

[Susan Higginbotham]

I found part of a review here. I guess the rest is behind a paywall.

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=su....gates.pdf

[LincolnToddFan]

Why have I never heard of this book...I would love to read it!

[RJNorton]

I have a hard copy of A Rose for Mrs. Lincoln. It has a bibliography but no footnotes or index. As I recall the writer relied heavily on Ruth Painter Randall's Mary Lincoln: A Biography of a Marriage. IMO the book does not contain information not found in the other Mary books we have discussed on the forum. It does not have the detail of books like Jean Baker's or Catherine Clinton's or Ruth Painter Randall's.

[LincolnToddFan]

Okay Roger....thanks so much for the heads up...it sounds like a Mary Lincoln sympathizer simply wanted to give the poor woman a much needed shout out-

[Eva Elisabeth]

Speaking of flowers - several websites attribute the following quote to A. L., but I've never seen a source: "All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." May I ask for your thoughts/knowledge on this?