Left: Stephanie Dray (Photo by Kelsey Edwards) ; Right: Laura Kamoie (Photo by Renee Hollingshead)
Local authors Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray release A Founding Mother, a novel about Abigail Adams
On May 10, we celebrate mothers past, present, and future. And in doing so, we remember women who helped shape what motherhood looks like today.
New York Times bestselling authors, and local Annapolis-area writers, Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie are bringing one such story to life in their new novel, A Founding Mother, which centers on Abigail Adams, one of history’s original “founding mothers.”
This marks the duo’s third collaboration, each of their books dedicated to illuminating the lives of historical women whose voices have often been overlooked. Where history has traditionally cast women as supporting characters, Dray and Kamoie use research and storytelling to place them back at the center.
We spoke with Dray and Kamoie about their upcoming release, their continued focus on women’s stories, and why Abigail Adams feels more relevant than ever. At first, Abigail Adams didn’t feel like an obvious choice for the duo to write about. With HBO’s John Adams bringing her story to the screen, it seemed like one that had already been told. But the closer they looked, they realized something important was missing.
“Though we do see some of Abigail’s life at home while he’s away [in the HBO series], it’s mostly in snippets,” they explained. “It was at least a decade that they are apart [John and Abigail Adams] and she’s living a harrowing and really heroic life without him.”
That realization became the foundation of A Founding Mother—not Abigail as a supporting figure, but as a woman navigating war, motherhood, and survival largely on her own.
A Founding Mother releases May 5, with a local author event at Park Books in Severna Park on May 2.
“We think of Abigail as the quintessential American mother,” they shared. But for Abigail, motherhood was never passive. It wasn’t just about raising children, it was also about shaping the world they would inherit. “Abigail believes that part of being a good mother is having an impact on the world that her children are going to live in.” It’s a sentiment that feels strikingly modern.
While Abigail lived in a time of revolution, uncertainty, and war, her daily life reflected challenges many women still face today. For long stretches, she functioned as what the authors describe as “essentially a single mom,” balancing the responsibilities of raising children, managing finances, and even running a business. “She’s juggling not just being a mother, but also being an entrepreneur,” they said. “When we think about how women take on all sorts of tasks now, including all the emotional labor… that’s Abigail.” Abigail wasn’t the type of character who needed to be modernized or rewritten to still resonate with today’s readers. “Readers are going to think that we modernized her,” they said. “But we didn’t. This is just who she was.” Her words and her beliefs were ahead of her time.
Famously urging her husband to “remember the ladies,” Abigail advocated for women’s rights in a way that still feels bold today.
It’s a reminder that strong, outspoken women have always existed even if history didn’t always give them the spotlight. Of course, telling a story like Abigail’s comes with its challenges. Through careful research and a deep understanding of their subject, Dray and Kamoie work to fill in those gaps that still feel true to Abigail. And in doing so, they also bring to life one of history’s most compelling love stories.
Often, women connected to powerful men are remembered only in relation to them. But in A Founding Mother, the relationship between Abigail and John Adams is something more; a partnership that evolves over time. “They were an unusual couple for the time,” they said. “A great American love story.” While their marriage wasn’t without its challenges, it was built on mutual respect, growth, and, ultimately, support on both sides. It’s a portrayal that feels refreshingly balanced. Still, it is Abigail’s strength as a mother that leaves the most lasting impression.
One of the most striking examples comes in a decision that would be unimaginable for many parents today: sending her young son across the ocean during a time of war, believing it would secure his future. “She said that she did not want to fasten a padlock on his mind,” they shared. It’s a powerful image of motherhood, not just as protection, but as letting go. Trusting that what is best for a child may also be the hardest choice to make. And that, perhaps, is what makes Abigail Adams’s story so timeless. Her story, though rooted in history, continues to shape the way we understand motherhood today.
For Dray and Kamoie, bringing this story to life feels especially meaningful as local authors in a place as rich in history as Annapolis.
“The Maryland and Annapolis audience has been hugely supportive of us over the years,” they shared. “We’re always so excited to celebrate with our local libraries and bookstores.” And the area’s rich revolutionary history serves as a reminder that while Abigail’s story may be centuries old, it is very much rooted in the present in communities like our own.
This Mother’s Day, as we celebrate the women in our lives, A Founding Mother offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on the generations of women who came before us, those who raised families, built futures, and quietly helped shape the world we live in today. Because long before we celebrated mothers, they were already making history.
