2026 McMurtry Lecture | A Conversation with Lois Romano
Join us as we welcome New York Times Best Selling author and national journalist Lois Romano to talk about her book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln.
This event will be offered both in person and virtually.
- Virtual attendees: Register
- In-person attendees: No registration required.
- Location: Main Library Theater at the Allen County Public Library — 900 Library Plz, Fort Wayne, IN
Lois Romano’s new book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln draws on hundreds of archives, letters, and memoirs to provide the most complete portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Lois is a longtime political journalist and New York Times bestselling author whose work has helped shape national conversations about politics, leadership, and public life. She is best known for her in-depth coverage of American political culture. Over a distinguished career, Lois has reported for the Washington Post, Politico, and Newsweek, earning a reputation for insightful storytelling, meticulous research, and an ability to bring political and historical figures to life. She has covered seven presidential races and numerous first ladies.
Her new book, An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, has been widely praised for its fresh, nuanced portrait of one of America’s most misunderstood First Ladies. Through exhaustive research and compelling narrative, Lois invites readers to reconsider Mary Lincoln’s life, struggles, and legacy with empathy and historical perspective. The biography reflects her insight into the interplay between politics and the human condition, revealing the complex life of a woman who navigated personal turmoil and public scrutiny to play a central role in the presidency at the most consequential moment in our nation’s history. The work draws on hundreds of archives, letters, and memoirs to provide the most complete portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln.
The book’s success has resonated with readers across the country, earning Lois laudatory reviews in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker, cementing her place among today’s leading biographers.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Collection
Questions? Contact: [email protected]