A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams

In January 1782, Charles finally returns home, nearly 12 years old. He tells of his arduous five-month journey and reveals that his father suffered from malaria in Holland. Realizing John was likely delirious when he sent the boys away, Abigail regrets her anger toward him. The news of John’s illness prompts 17-year-old Nabby to ask to join him in Europe to be his housekeeper, a request John denies.

Nabby, frustrated with her family’s separation, becomes wary of romance. However, she is courted by Royall Tyler, a handsome young lawyer and eventually falls in love with him. Abigail cautiously permits the friendship but insists they wait for John’s return before making any commitments. When John learns of the suitor from Abigail’s letters, he writes a series of responses forbidding any attachment. By the time his letters arrive, it is too late; Nabby and Tyler are in love. Hurt by her father’s disapproval, Nabby defends Tyler’s character. Abigail advises her to be patient and wait for John to meet Tyler in person, stressing the need for his blessing.

In December 1783, with the war finally over, Abigail and her children watch a victory parade in Boston. Nabby invites Royall Tyler to join them later, and Abigail, whom John has now entrusted with the matter, cautiously agrees. Abigail reflects on the unacknowledged sacrifices of women during the revolution and swells with pride for John’s role in creating the new nation. Later, Nabby confronts her, worried that Abigail would consent to an even longer separation from John, which would jeopardize her own prospects for marriage.

Realizing it is time to reunite their family, Abigail writes to John, pleading with him to come home. Instead, he urges her and Nabby to join him in Europe. Abigail is initially reluctant, having built an independent life and caring for her ailing father. After her father’s death, despite already being legally free under the Massachusetts constitution, Phoebe is offered a choice: her freedom, or belonging to Mary, Abigail, or Elizabeth. Phoebe immediately chooses freedom. While her sisters debate her duty to her husband, Abigail delays answering John. His letters grow more desperate, appealing to her obligation, her sense of adventure, and her heart. Moved by love, Abigail decides to go.

In January 1784, Nabby accompanies her mother to Europe, hoping it will hasten her father’s return, though it means a separation from Royall Tyler. Just before she leaves, Tyler proposes, having already written to John for his blessing. Before their departure, Abigail hosts a wedding for the newly freed Phoebe, which also is a farewell party. Phoebe quietly warns Abigail about Tyler’s character, noting his harsh treatment of his horse.

After tearful goodbyes, Abigail and Nabby travel to Boston. There, she meets Thomas Jefferson, who is also bound for France for the diplomatic commission. They share a pleasant outing to a bookstore together, but Jefferson keeps his original travel plans, and they sail separately. The month-long sea voyage is miserable, but they finally arrive in England. As they settle into a London hotel, Abigail is anxious about her impending reunion with John, fearing that years of distance have irrevocably damaged their love.

In London, while waiting for John to arrive from The Hague, Abigail and Nabby are surprised by the arrival of 17-year-old John Quincy, who has transformed into a confident man. A few days later, John arrives unannounced early one morning, finding Abigail in her bed. They share a tearful and emotional reunion. John confesses his failings as a husband, expresses deep regret for the pain his long absence and coldness has caused her, and asks for forgiveness. Abigail assures him he never lost her love, and they reconcile, eager for a new beginning.

Their conversation turns to Nabby and Royall Tyler. John mentions that he sent a letter months ago giving his consent to their marriage, a letter the family never received. He also approved a direct request from Tyler himself. The betrothal is now a binding agreement. Troubled by Phoebe’s earlier warning about Tyler but unwilling to poison her husband against their prospective son-in-law, Abigail keeps her misgivings to herself.

In September 1784, the family travels to their new home in Auteuil, a grand house outside Paris. John’s diplomatic colleagues, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, are early visitors. Abigail and Nabby quickly befriend Jefferson’s lonely, motherless daughter, Patsy. Abigail finds a kindred spirit in the widowed Jefferson, with whom she discusses finances and education, while John finds in him a trusted friend and colleague.

Abigail’s attempts to engage with French society are met with culture shock; she is appalled by the immodest behavior of a prominent salon hostess, Madame Helvétius, and disturbed by the poverty and high number of abandoned children in Paris. These experiences reinforce her American identity. She feels more connected to her American and English-speaking friends, particularly Jefferson, than to the morally questionable French society.

While in Auteuil in the autumn of 1784, Abigail forges a close friendship with the Marquise de Lafayette, a young noblewoman. Meanwhile, Nabby grows increasingly withdrawn and despondent, having received no letters from her fiancé, Royall Tyler. To lift her spirits, Abigail fills their days with sightseeing and social events. The family’s life settles into a pleasant rhythm, supporting John in his diplomatic work after both Jefferson and Franklin fall ill.

Their peaceful routine is interrupted when John is appointed as the first U.S. ambassador to England. Abigail is thrilled by the honor though sad to leave France. John Quincy announces he will return to America to finish his education at Harvard and to meet Mr. Tyler. In a surprising turn, Nabby decides to remain in Europe with her parents, cryptically remarking that both she and Tyler need to mature before marrying. The family bids farewell to their friends in France, including Thomas Jefferson, who will remain as ambassador to France.

In the spring of 1785, John Adams nervously prepares for his presentation as ambassador to King George III. The meeting is a surprising success, with the king receiving him graciously. The family moves into the first American embassy in London, where they are joined by John’s new secretary, Colonel William Smith. As the ambassador’s wife, Abigail navigates a complex social world. At her own court presentation, the king is polite but eccentric, while Queen Charlotte is openly hostile.

Amidst their duties, Nabby grows fond of Colonel Smith. She confesses to Abigail that she has received letters from home detailing Royall Tyler’s infidelity and dishonorable conduct. Feeling unable to break an engagement backed by her father, Nabby is miserable, especially since realizing she could love a man like Colonel Smith. Abigail immediately informs John, who summons a fearful Nabby. He reassures her that her happiness is his only concern and gives her his full support to break the engagement, declaring he would rather die than see her married to a dishonorable man.

In March 1786, Thomas Jefferson visits the Adamses in London to assist with diplomatic matters. He gives his approval of Colonel Smith as a suitor for Nabby, cementing John’s own favorable opinion. A few months later, Nabby and Colonel Smith are married. The following year, they have a son, William, making Abigail and John grandparents.

Life in London continues, but Abigail grows concerned about Charlie and Tommy after hearing they were involved in a food riot at Harvard. She and John realize they must return home to supervise their children, but John’s diplomatic duties remain critical. While she misses her sons, Abigail has discovered a talent and a passion for public service and is not yet ready to leave it behind.

In the summer of 1787, Abigail agrees to care for Thomas Jefferson’s eight-year-old daughter, Polly, upon her arrival in London. Polly is accompanied by a teenaged, enslaved servant, Sally Hemings. Polly is terrified and inconsolable, feeling betrayed by the relatives who tricked her onto the ship and abandoned by the father she barely knows. Abigail and Nabby work to comfort the child.

Nabby notices a resemblance between Polly and Sally and suspects a scandal involving Jefferson. She urges Abigail to persuade him to send Sally back to America. Abigail initially agrees and even writes to encourage Jefferson to do so. But after getting to know Sally and suspecting that Sally’s mother sent her to France hoping she could gain her freedom there under French law, Abigail stops pressing Jefferson to send Sally home. When Jefferson sends a French servant to retrieve the girls instead of coming himself, Polly is again heartbroken, solidifying Abigail’s opinion that even great statesmen can be flawed fathers.

By the spring of 1788, John is frustrated with his diplomatic post, and both he and Abigail are eager to return home. The new United States Constitution has been drafted, and their time in London ends. After a farewell to Nabby, who is pregnant again and moving to New York, they set sail. They receive a hero’s welcome in Boston, with cheering crowds and cannon salutes.

An emotional reunion with their family follows, including their sons—Charles, Tommy, and John Quincy. John’s closer bond with his eldest son is evident in his affectionate greeting of John Quincy, while Charlie and Tommy greet their parents with polite reserve, awed by their father. Abigail learns that Mercy Warren has become distant, and she also grieves for family members who died in their absence, including her estranged brother, Bill. Instead of returning home, they purchase an estate abandoned by Royall Tyler, which needs significant repairs. As the new government forms, John declares he will accept the vice presidency or nothing at all, and Abigail supports his ambition.