American history and politics are two subjects I know very little of. So this was a good read for me. A very good one.
Dealing with a civil war on the one hand, Abraham Lincoln on the other and on top of it all the history of sisters divided by political conflict and personal beliefs. The trio came together beautifully to give you one wonderful story detailing history and a personal family saga that was wonderfully told.
The North and the South of America divided on this issue, and the war was very real with losses on every side. The Todd family had their fair share of losses and so did the Lincolns. Both from illness and the war the losses were heart breaking. The detailed history of the conflict, parallel with the story of Mary and Emily and to a lesser degree their other sisters is an excellent read.
There are details of the clan which were totally unknown to me - that Mary Lincoln was committed to a lunatic asylum by her only surviving son was hard to take. Emily on the other hand handled her sorrows in a more balanced manner despite facing more hardships than Mary did. The two sisters were a contrast to each other and this is what added interest to their story. It also points out to the fact that despite their positions, they were foremost women who were wives and mothers who sought to protect those they loved.
Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark.
Learning about history though fiction is something I really enjoy. I do my own research when I find something that I'm curious about, and I especially like it when the author includes research and bibliographic information at the end of the book. I did know that Mrs. Lincoln spent time in an asylum, but little else about it and am now more curious.
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