Before she dressed a First Lady, she stitched her own freedom.
LIZZY reimagines the extraordinary life of Madame Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley—a woman born into slavery who purchased her freedom through dressmaking and rose to become the official dressmaker and trusted confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln.
Set against the Civil War and the emerging Harlem Renaissance, LIZZY brings to life a woman history nearly erased: a couturière, entrepreneur, abolitionist, author, and cultural architect who transformed craftsmanship into agency and fashion into a path toward liberation.
Rooted in the historical record, LIZZY restores Elizabeth Keckley not simply as the woman who dressed the White House, but as a visionary Black woman whose artistry, intellect, and courage helped shape a nation in transformation.
AMERICA'S FIRST COUTURIÈRE
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
"Nuyda conducts readers’ attention with a maestro’s precision, contrasting gravity and levity in a delicate, honest balance. With genuine characters and undeniable history, Nuyda’s retelling of Elizabeth Keckley’s story shimmers like the finest silk, demanding attention elegantly and proving wholly worthy of it."
~Tassneem Abdulwahab, Sundress Publications, 2/28/26
To read the entire review, click HERE.
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