Mollie Garfield in the White House

"One, day not long ago, I was going through some papers left to me when my sister died. I came upon a diary that no one in the family seems to have known about...It was my mother's diary, kept during the summer that she lived as a fourteen-year-old girl, in the White House."

So begins the introduction to this unique historical account. Mollie, author Ruth S.B. Feis’ mother, was the daughter of James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the United States. The personal papers, photographs, illustrations, and letters within Mollie Garfield in the White House not only open a window into the White House during the end of the 19th century but also detail daily life. The comings and goings of guests, the schoolwork and piano lessons, the family meals, trips, and holidays, and the hopes and worries all described within are surprisingly relevant even in today’s world.

Against this backdrop of domestic normalcy, Mollie Garfield in the White House provides insight into her father’s sudden rise to the presidency, his short-lived administration, and his tragic death at the hands of an assassin. Mollie's account of these events goes beyond politics. Through her musings, President Garfield appears as a tender-hearted man devoted to his family and diligent to his country. Thanks to her youthful writings, and author Feis’ foresight to preserve them, this period in American history is immeasurably enriched with the detail and texture of everyday life.

Product Details:

• Historical nonfiction using primary documents
• 128 pages, approx. 4.25”x 6.75”, paperback
• Text by Ruth S.B. Feis.
• Printed in USA, published by Eastern National for James Garfield National Historic Site.