12 h 9 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In Andrew Jackson’s Washington, a closed parlor door can turn a woman’s reputation into a political fight.
Peggy O’Neal grows up at Franklin House, her father William O’Neale’s Washington boarding house and tavern, where members of Congress take rooms. She marries John Timberlake, a Navy purser whose long absences leave her in her father’s house. Gossip gathers around her, and the powerful women of the capital refuse to welcome her.
In Peggy O’Neal, Alfred Henry Lewis turns the real affair of Margaret O’Neale, later known as Peggy Eaton, into a historical novel of manners, malice, and loyalty. President Andrew Jackson defends Peggy in public and private. When he calls his cabinet together to examine the charges, a quarrel over social acceptance reaches the heart of his presidency.
What you’ll discover
- A tavern near power Enter Franklin House, where Peggy’s family life shares a roof with Washington’s men of rank.
- A reputation under siege Follow Peggy as whispers about her life become grounds for exclusion from Washington society.
- The power of refusal See how the capital’s leading ladies turn social acceptance into a weapon against Peggy.
- A president takes sides Watch Jackson defend Peggy and bring the charges against her before his own cabinet.
- History shaped into drama Explore a real political affair through a novel concerned with honor, loyalty, and malice.
Who will love it
For readers who enjoy American political history told with color and drama, and anyone curious about Andrew Jackson's circle, Washington gossip, and loyalties tested by scandal.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Peggy grows up among the powerful
- Two marriages and a growing whisper
- The ladies of Washington close their doors
- A parlor quarrel becomes a political fight
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 12 h 9 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Peggy O'Neal in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Peggy O'Neal
by Alfred Henry Lewis · 1903
Washington society shuts its doors to a tavern keeper's daughter, and Jackson puts his loyalty on the line.
Medium level10–20 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Peggy grows up among the powerful
The story begins with Peggy's home. Her father, William O'Neale, kept the Franklin House, a Washington boarding house and tavern where members of Congress and other men of rank took rooms. Among those who lodged there were Andrew Jackson, when he served as a senator, and his friend John Henry Eaton.
Growing up in such a place, Peggy met politicians as a daily matter. She was quick, lively and well taught, and she was known for her music and her talk. A girl with those gifts, behind a bar and a dining table, drew attention from men and, just as surely, suspicion from their wives.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Peggy O'Neal
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Peggy O'Neal about?
It is a novel about Peggy O'Neale, later Peggy Eaton, a Washington tavern keeper's daughter whom society shunned during Andrew Jackson's presidency, and about the quarrel that grew from it.
Is Peggy O'Neal a true story?
It is a novel, but it is built on a real episode often called the Petticoat affair, involving Peggy Eaton, John Eaton and Andrew Jackson in about 1829.
Who was Peggy Eaton?
She was Margaret O'Neale, daughter of a Washington tavern keeper. She married John Eaton, Jackson's Secretary of War, and became the center of a social and political controversy.
The author
Alfred Henry Lewis
1855–1914 · American journalist and novelist
American investigative journalist, lawyer, author, and editor.
More by Alfred Henry Lewis
All 2 books
More like this
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in classics
See all
Free
Free
Free
