She was able; through clever maneuvering and dogged determination; to achieve a commission from the Congress for a life-sized statue of the assassinated presidentmdash;this despite the very real animus against women artists at that time; which is apparent in the heated arguments against granting her the Lincoln commissionmdash;arguments spearheaded in the Senate by Charles Sumner of Massachusetts.Steeped in the history of her time; Vinnie Ream was involved with dozens of senators and congressmen and other powerful menmdash;not least of all Generals Sherman and Custermdash;and her studio on Capitol Hill became a legendary stopping place for many admirers and tourists. Her statue of Lincoln stands in the rotunda of the capitol building; her statue of Admiral Farragut stands in a Washington; D.C. park; other works are in Statuary Hall and various museums. This is an engaging biography of a spirited female artist; and an effective portrait of Washington; D.C. in the Civil War era.
#837895 in eBooks 2014-08-30 2014-08-30File Name: B00NCUBTN2
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great mom. Great story of courage in the face ...By Andi LeighGrew up with patty duke on tv-i was always partial to Patty -great talent. Great mom. Great story of courage in the face of Hollywood hypocracy! Sean Astin siblings should be proud of their mom.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A page-turner!By JustJules20This was a good read. I knew bits and pieces of her up-bringing; but had no idea how extremely controlled her every movement; thought and even her emotion was by the Rosses. I am a fan of Pattys screen work and it was a real treat for me to finally read her recollection of events. I do wish that she would have added more detail to the portion about her work on The Patty Duke show; but I cannot really give her a poor review if she really cannot remember (as she stated) this time of her life very well. I always wondered how on earth she ended up with John Astin; and now I think I understand it. Some will criticize her for the way she portrays certain people and events; but I choose to notice how often she accepts responsibility for her actions. The way she wrote this book was in a format where you could imagine her sitting across the table from you; just telling you a story; as if it was a conversation. I appeal to that type of writing.Some will also criticize her for insisting that her relationship with Michael Tell could not have produced her oldest son; Sean; which has since proven to be false. Sean submitted to a DNA test after this book was published that proves otherwise. I choose to believe that Anna was in a complete daze during that 13 day marriage. To her; was merely another awkward blip in her life of manic events.Now; the fact that I read it on my Kindle was a little frustrating. There is only one portion of the book with pictures included; which seems to be about the middle of it. I wish there was a way to look at the photos at any point in the progress of the book. She would make mention of certain people in her life and I wished I could have gone back to the photo to see what that person looked like.if youre a fan of classic 1960s television and movies; this book will entertain you. Also; if youve ever been involved with someone in your life who has been down a similar road; you will sympathize with Anna and be rooting for her throughout the book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Well WrittenBy Tara PiesI really enjoyed this book. I am a generation behind Patty Duke; but still found this book inspiring and relevant. I remember when I was younger hearing all kinds of tabloid type gossip about Pattie (that she was an alcoholic; drug addict etc.). It was interesting to learn that it all stemmed from bi-polar and I love how she openly discussed the illness and is very candid. I am glad that she was able to pull herself out of the darkness so she was able to inform others of this illness. I like how this is easily written and in chronological order. I havent seen much of her acting but now I would like to.
