First published 2014
Kate Chase arrives in Washington as her father Salmon P. Chase takes his place in Lincoln's cabinet as Treasury Secretary. Born in Cincinnati in 1840, she becomes her thrice-widowed father's hostess and political strategist. Kate transforms herself into Washington's most celebrated woman, using her beauty and intelligence to advance her father's presidential ambitions. She faces one formidable opponent: First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Both women possess sharp political minds and fierce loyalty to their husbands' careers. Both understand that only one can reign supreme in the capital's social hierarchy. Kate's marriage to William Sprague, Rhode Island's wealthy young governor, becomes the wedding of the decade. President Lincoln attends the ceremony. His wife does not. The rivalry between these two ambitious women mirrors the larger political battles consuming the nation during wartime.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-ambition
Setting: Cincinnati, Rhode Island, Washington DC
Period: American Civil War
419 pages · Hardcover · Dutton