Born in London to an American father and a British mother on the eve of the Revolutionary War, Louisa Catherine Johnson was raised in circumstances very different from the New England upbringing of future president John Quincy Adams. And yet John Quincy fell in love with her, almost despite himself. Their often tempestuous but deeply close marriage lasted half a century. They lived in Prussia, Massachusetts, Washington, Russia, and England, at royal courts, on farms, in cities, and in the White House. But while other members of the Adams family could take their identity for granted -- they were Adamses; they were Americans -- she had to invent her own. As the country her husband led found its place in the world, she found a voice. That voice resonates still. In this deeply felt biography, talented historian Louisa Thomas finally gives Lousia catherine Adams's extraordinary life its due. An intimate portrait of a remarkable woman, a complicated marriage, and a pivotal historical moment, Louisa is a masterful work from an elegant storyteller.