How is Dolley Madison presented in the novel, Dolley?

Aged forty-five at the beginning of the narration, Dolley is still beautiful and stylish and wellknown for her reputation as an excellent hostess at the presidential dinners where it is she, rather than her husband, who talks with all the guests with polish and aplomb. When Dolley appears in this setting, there is a perceptible shift of focus from the outer to the inner woman who is, above all, a sought-after conversationalist with a warm but determined personality and a great wit.