第一家庭:阿比盖尔和约翰·亚当斯

作者:约瑟夫·j·埃利斯(纽约:阿尔弗雷德·a·克诺夫出版社，2010)。299页。布,27.95美元。

凯莉·a·霍尼书评，乔治亚大学第一家庭:阿比盖尔和约翰·亚当斯这是一个熟悉故事的新转折。约瑟夫·j·埃利斯(Joseph J. Ellis)结合“更大的政治叙事”叙述了约翰和阿比盖尔的生活故事。埃利斯利用亚当斯家族留下的大量信件，追溯了约翰和阿比盖尔从他们第一次见面到1826年7月4日约翰去世的故事。《独立宣言》的签署、《外国人法》和《煽动叛乱法》的签署，以及约翰·亚当斯和托马斯·杰斐逊分分合合的关系，这些都是亚当斯经历的缩影。埃利斯通过对约翰和阿比盖尔长期分居的审视，以及约翰政治生涯和更亲密的家庭斗争中的考验和磨难，阐述了约翰和阿比盖尔关系的力量和他们爱的力量。埃利斯的叙述并不像大多数传记那样从约翰和阿比盖尔的生活开始，而是从他们在1759年夏天开始的关系开始。读者可能会感到有趣的是，约翰和阿比盖尔在第一次相遇时，无论在外表还是性格上都不觉得对方有吸引力。埃利斯记录了这些观点是如何随着时间的推移而改变的，这对后人来说是幸运的。《第一家庭》用大部分篇幅讲述了约翰和阿比盖尔忍受分居的岁月。埃利斯特别探讨了约翰在大陆会议中作为马萨诸塞州代表的时间，他在美国驻巴黎代表团的服务，以及他作为美国副总统和后来的美国总统的晚年。在亚当斯的家庭传奇中，这些分离的期限是具有启发性的时刻，阿比盖尔和约翰在分开的时候越来越多地书信往来，不仅是彼此，还有亲戚和朋友。这些信件汇集在一起，让我们得以一窥一个生活在革命和共和国早期最激烈时期的家庭的情感和活动。 Ellis combs this well-trodden correspondence for evidence of the unique relationship which existed between John and Abigail. He notes how John "was susceptible to swoonish emotional swings" and how it was only Abigail, serving as John's "ballast," which kept him on a course for greatness (12). It was Abigail's love, support, and confidence in John, Ellis contends, that made John capable of achieving the public distinction he so desired. Yet, oftentimes in Ellis' account, John's quest for prominence overshadows Abigail's fundamentally important domestic existence. The children, particularly Nabby, Charles, and Thomas — the less famous of the Adams children — are mentioned infrequently and it is mainly with their tragic, final years that Ellis emphasizes their broader familial significance. At times, Ellis presents Abigail as a needy, depressed, and angry woman — especially when John failed to write as frequently as she would have liked. Though the main focus of First Family is the "unconditional commitment" of their relationship, Ellis occasionally allows John to take center stage in the making of history, while portraying Abigail as only a witness, "lurking in the background" (ix, 30). To his credit, Joseph J. Ellis takes on the immense challenge of writing a dual biography or, perhaps more appropriately, the biography of a relationship. That said, while John's life and experiences — almost inevitably — provide the framework of the narrative, First Family succeeds in painting the picture of a devoted man and woman who let neither time, nor distance, nor war, nor death affect their love for one another. Though a number of volumes already exist concerning John, Abigail, or both, First Family: Abigail and John Adams is a valuable addition to this canon of literature. Ellis' elegant prose and his ability to interweave both the personal and public affairs of the Adams family make this a worthy and enjoyable read for fans of historical biography or any person interested in this amazing Revolutionary family.