SYNOPSIS

Spanning nearly a century of a lifetime is the story of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley.  Born into slavery in Dinwiddie County, Virginia in February 1818, Elizabeth endured a dark and painful life for thirty seven years as the property of Colonel Armistad Burwell.  A gifted and skilled dressmaker, she drew upon her earnings to purchase her freedom along with her son's and journeyed to Washington, D.C. to establish her business offering her dressmaking services.  

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Her exceptional craftsmanship caught the attention of Washington's society women that eventually landed her the position as the official "Modiste" (skilled dressmaker) to the First Lady, Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, a first in the White House's history.  

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The book takes you on an inside look at Elizabeth's commitment and dedication to her craft as a couturier during some of the most poignant and critical times in the Civil War and Post-Civil War eras.   It tells of her intimate friendship and loyalty to Mrs. Lincoln that made her Mrs. Lincoln's closest confidante, advisor and best friend. 

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A hidden figure in history, this is the story of a woman who endured the unspeakable during her time of enslavement and is a testimony of her exceptional achievement not only as an instrumental force in the Abolitionist movement, Civil War and post-War efforts, but also tells the story of a single mother, a self-made entrepreneur, author, teacher, community leader and artist.

 

"LIZZY: The Elizabeth Keckley Story," magnifies her innovation, precision, focus and unmatched skill that made her an haute couture virtuoso and arguably the very first American couturier who established a fashion house catering to the elite and most discerning women of the time. 

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