Mr. Lincoln's Wars: A Novel in Thirteen StoriesIn this highly ambitious collection, Adam Braver explores Abraham Lincoln's inner life and personal turmoils -- while also reflecting on the indelible impact Lincoln had on the nation during the last year of his presidency. Braver brings the president to life, not just as the strong and resilient leader of history books but also as a grief-stricken father, heartbroken over the loss of his young son. Across a rich canvas of truth and imagination, Mr. Lincoln's Wars reveals a president within the White House walls. We see Lincoln as he explores the meaning of loss through a chance encounter with the father of a slain soldier. And a good-hearted young Union soldier is quickly turned into a killer in the name of President Lincoln. Finally, there is the assassination and the autopsy, as seen through the eyes of John Wilkes Booth, Mary Lincoln, the assistant surgeon general, and one of Lincoln's closest friends. Brilliant in its depiction of the country during the waning days of the war, this book is an insightful and moving exploration of the myth of celebrity and the passions it arouses. More than anything, Mr. Lincoln's Wars introduces a talented new writer whose storytelling ability knows no bounds. |
From inside the book
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... door pushed open again . Lincoln's youngest son , Tad , stood in a thin crack of light . “ Mama won't eat again , ” and his eyes opened wide with the fear of the messenger before he shut the door . Abe pulled himself up from his chair ...
... door creaked slightly , revealing just the center of Mary Todd Lincoln's face puffing out like a fat moon . Her eyes in slits , with the green irises jumping from side to side . Sweated strings of dark hair shoelaced over her face . And ...
... door . " I gotta get some rest . I have to go to Richmond in the morning ... Mother , eat your supper . ” And he started to walk away . “ I'm not eating alone , " she called out . He turned around . “ I'll send Tad in to eat with don't ...
... door . The president walked down the hall , his legs hanging like death . Knowing the goodness in Mary , knowing the ... doors slam and the valves are tightened and the pressure builds . And Mary exclaims that she will never enter the ...
... door and observe Dr. Brown making the final arrangements. I watch family members walk the floors, trying to find a reason that makes it all right. Dead in shock with a lightning rod run straight through their spines. But Mr. Lincoln ...
Contents
11 | |
25 | |
The Idiot Brother | 47 |
The Willie Grief | 67 |
His Stepmothers Sister | 89 |
A Letter to President Lincoln from a Good Girl | 97 |
The Ward | 107 |
On to the Next Field | 131 |
Crybaby Jacks Theory | 149 |
The Sad and Familiar Ballad of Captain | 181 |
The Necropsy | 195 |
A Rainy Night in Springfield Illinois1849 | 289 |
A Word on Researching Mr Lincolns Wars | 305 |