Dolley: A Novel Kindle Edition

I like the first-person diary-entry style. I wish I had known the paperback was not Trade Paperback but instead more compact Mass Market Paperback. Tightly bound with single-spaced text. Have reordered in hardcover version.Now that I've read it, it was a bit dry and tedious to get through -- sooo much information. And with the combination diary entries and narrative, a bit repetitious and not near as engaging as I expected. If you're a history buff (which I thought I was) you may enjoy all the little details.

So many books out there about "Founding Fathers", but the Essential Feminine Role played by their Wives, Mates, Lovers, Families, Friends, etc. so often underappreciated. (And when touched upon, so SELDOM done so with such MASTERY!) Rita Mae Brown has a Soul-Gift for Getting Inside, Appreciating, Illuminating, and Loving us ALL! Her works fill a generous portion of our treasured home library (And YES Indeed! the Mrs. Murphy Mystery Series Gets BETTER AND BETTER!)My Beloved and I are age-mates to RMB, and find ourselves wishing for Immortality, so that the Dance can just go on and on!Thank you, Rita Mae, for Enrich our lives!David and Victoria

"Dolley" an interesting account of our 5th First Lady. Never having read much about any of the 1st Ladies of this nation, but throughly enjoying the works of Rita Mae Brown, I decided it was about time to correct my lapse in education. I'm very glad I picked this book to start with. It is written not in the usual narrative format but rather in a much more interesting mix of diary entries and narrative. The setting is a war without popular support, bad economy,skyrockteting national debt, warring factions and almost total gridlock in the Congress, an embattled president - does any of this sound very familiar?? The year is 1812, 200 years ago, and not much has changed. We are a fledgling nation at war with the powerbroker of the world England, who's main desire is to bring the "upstart rebels" to heel,if not as a colony again at least into the commonwealth. Into this seething, boiling stewpot of politics and national problems we view the life and feelings of a woman in the "thick of things". This book is a very good "read" and has encouraged me to continue learning about the lives of our Frist Ladies. I sincerely hope it will do the same for you.

I've enjoyed Rita Mae Brown's writing, but generally found the Mrs. Murphy books to be more "fluff" than substance. "Dolly" on the other hand was well researched, and although not truly a biography as Ms. Brown had to make assumptions and guesses in many areas, it gave an interesting and complex view of politics during the War of 1812, the role of women in the early 1800's, and James Madison's term as president . Highly recommended for intelligent and thought provoking insight into a period too often overlooked and romanticized in our nation's history.

Rita Mae Brown is a favorite author. I had read this book sometime back but enjoyed reading it again. History whether true or fiction or some of both is enjoyable to me. Dolly Madison was a woman before her time and stood up to the men in the government and would have done the same in this time I think. She had her good side and bad like all humans. The book is believable and the writing good. I do recommend it to people who like this type of historical fiction.

Boring! I expected better stuff from Rita Mae Brown....a fellow Virginian. Dolley's character seemed stilted. This was like reading a dry history book. Also, since Montpelier is a stone's throw from where I lived, I was disappointed in the lack of local "color".

An eye opening account of how different and difficult some things were for this first lady, and how some things never change. Rita Mae Brown brings Dolley Payne Todd Madison to life in this carefully researched work of historical fiction. I read it in 1994 when it was first published and loved it. I decided to read it again after discovering Dolley is a first cousin, many generations removed. And I loved it even more the second time around. Dolley Madison was a great patriot and heroine.

I always enjoy Rita Mae's books and this one was no exception. I really enjoyed learning about this part of American history; it really came alive. What is probably mundane book learning to Americans is very interesting for other folk and Rita's telling of the story of Dolley Madison in diary form, what happened to the city of Washington, the French influence and entertaining at the White House was a rich tapestry for my eyes - it was so easy to imagine. It certainly was no dry, brittle history tome and I would happily recommend it to history buffs and novices alike.

A fine historical novel about Dolley Madison, one of America's first first ladies. See "High Hearts" and "Rita Will" by the same author for other valuable Southern perspectives on American history.