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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... feet high up against the wall, no shoes, just white socks with brown rings around the heels, folding his arms tight against his chest, looking out the window down to the gardens, at the rows of plants that were shaded in black from the ...
... at any moment. He was going to stand there in officious pride with his fists lodged into his hips and his feet a shoulder's stride apart. The mouth above his funneled gray beard drawn down in permanent 4. } {. Adam Braver.
... feet tall. I was struck by his poise. Sometimes when I'm done working, I peek through the crack in the door and observe Dr. Brown making the final arrangements. I watch family members walk the floors, trying to find a reason that makes ...
... feet fall hard and flat to give me one more memory of him . ” Being an undertaker's assistant I knew exactly what he meant . I see every face that comes through our doors , and though most of them just kind of wash away with the day , I ...
... feet . Lincoln looked at me for more . “ It was strange , ” I found myself saying . “ I could just tell that he wasn't alone . That he was in the company of others . " " Like who ? " Mr. Lincoln asked . My voice dropped to a whisper ...
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 |