In this compelling and meticulously researched work of micro-history, Ava Chamberlain unearths a fuller history of Elizabeth Tuttle. It is a violent and tragic story in which anxious patriarchs struggle to govern their households, unruly women disobey their husbands, mental illness tears families apart, and loved ones die sudden deaths.

1875. Elizabeth Todd Edwards reels from news that her younger sister Mary, former First Lady and widow of President Abraham Lincoln, has attempted suicide. The shocking act followed legal proceedings arranged by Mary's eldest and only surviving son that declared her legally insane. The Todd sisters - maternal Elizabeth, peacemaker Frances, envious Ann, and much adored Emilie - had always turned to one another in times of joy and heartache. But when...