An Unlikely Friendship by Ann Rinaldi

Mary Todd grew up always wanting to live in the White House and be the wife of a President. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Keckley grew up wanting to purchase her freedom. Each overcame hardships and trials and eventually saw their dreams come true. They met in Washington D.C. and quickly became close friends. A prologue and epilogue briefly describe the friendship between two very different women, with very different upbringings. The majority of the story, however, is two sections that describes the childhood of each woman. Rinaldi's strength is that she makes lesser known figures in history interesting and alive through her books. Her characters are always well developed and she pays attention to historical details. The lives of both women had difficult points and Rinaldi does not shy away from them- especially with the abuse (including sexual) that slaves suffered at the hands of their masters. An author's note explains her interest in the subject matter and the liberties that she took with historical details. A bibliography includes resources for more information on both women. A quick read that will not be hugely popular, but fans of other Rinaldi novels or historical fiction would enjoy this novel.