The Family Behind the Infamy: The Booth Legacy

The Family Behind the Infamy: The Booth Legacy

Since this is the birth month of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two venerated U.S. presidents, we focus on a related novel: Booth, a novel about the family of John Wilkes Booth, whose successful plot cut short Lincoln’s life and impact on history.

Author Karen Joy Fowler explores the Booth family’s role in John Wilkes’ life, as well as each family member’s response to his assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

 In this lengthy historical novel, Fowler takes pains to avoid glorifying John Wilkes Booth.

 Did she succeed? Each reader must decide.

Boothe, by Karen Joy Fowler, cover image

Booth reads like a biography of this famous theatrical family, filled with intriguing anecdotes, as it thoroughly documents the life of each family member. The author categorized this book as historical fiction, perhaps because of numerous gaps in documentation through the many years the novel spans.

This novel also tells the story of how John Wilkes became a Southern sympathizer and turned to violence after the South lost the Civil War.

Characters:

Junius Brutus Booth—famous 19th-century actor and controlling father figure (in spite of his many stage-related absences from his family)

Mary Ann (Mother) Booth—British-born partner of Junius Brutus, mother of many children; she largely raised them as a single mother (because of Junius’ peripatetic acting career), yet without independence due to the strict rules of Junius

Rosalie Booth—oldest Booth daughter, helps her mother with younger children, then helps her ageing mother; she’s a keen observer of each family member and the family’s history

Asia Booth—youngest Booth daughter, with her beauty, dramatic temper, and outgoing personality, she’s the polar opposite of Rosalie

Edwin Booth—the second-oldest surviving Booth brother; an actor like his father, he struggles to live his life free from his father’s domination

June Booth—oldest Booth son; as his father’s namesake, he’s destined for a career as an actor

Joe Booth—youngest Booth child, in John’s shadow; he doesn’t pursue an acting career

John Wilkes Booth—the ‘golden boy’ of the family as the affectionate, handsome youngest child (until Joe’s birth)

Abraham Lincoln—depicted in a humanized way at key moments in U.S. and Booth family history 

Strengths:

  • The author’s depiction of John Wilkes’ life helps explain his descent into mental illness, and also other family members’ oddities and perhaps mental illness
  • Author’s use of Shakespeare quotes in the Booth family’s conversations shows her agility;
  • Portrayals of the lives of several family members extend focus beyond John Wilkes

Weakness:

The novel’s length makes for a long read. Some readers will enjoy the detailed portraits of the entire Booth family and their world, while the story will go on too long for others.

Content review:

The story includes sexual intimacy (although not graphic) and the violence that’s realistic for a story of this family and era.

My recommendation:

Booth required patience to plow through, but I found it rewarding and informative. For readers interested in learning more about how an infamous deed might affect the family members of the perpetrator, as well as about the family life that preceded the assassination, I recommend this novel’s thought-provoking take on both.

Reader, can you suggest a favorite book about Lincoln or Booth?

The Missing Link in a Familiar Story

The Missing Link in a Familiar Story

These dog days of summer (in my hemisphere) are a great time for a rewarding new look at a familiar story.

How did Abraham Lincoln, arguably the greatest U.S. president, make the amazing leap from country boy in rural Kentucky to the White House?

Nancy Horan’s recent historical novel, The House of Lincoln, offers hints as it reveals how Lincoln’s years in Springfield, Illinois, impacted him.

The House of Lincoln, by Nancy Horan, cover image

Brief Summary:

In an entertaining and suspenseful yet historically accurate way, Horan focuses on the complicated background shaping life in the Illinois capital through the stories of three families:

  • Mary Todd Lincoln (the family she and Abraham created, as well as her family of origin)
  • a Portuguese immigrant family, the Ferreiras, whose daughter, Ana works as a domestic for the Lincolns
  • a free Black family, the Donnegans, whose members play varied roles in the Underground Railroad

The House of Lincoln begins with Ana’s arrival in 1849 at age 9 as part of a group of 130 Portuguese immigrants from Madeira who escaped after harvesting sugar cane in Trinidad.

The author weaves together the story of the Lincolns and Springfield, Illinois—with its Portuguese immigrants, state government, Underground Railway participants, and slave catchers.

Early in the story, the author gives a clue about the historical (and future) conflict in Springfield, when Mrs. Alsop, a White abolitionist widow whom Ana companions, tells her, “This area was settled early on by New England abolitionists. But it was also settled by Kentucky corn crackers and other uplanders from down South. We may live side by side in this town, but we don’t always understand each other.”

The novel ends in 1909 after a celebration of Lincoln’s 100th birthday.

Characters:

Ana Ferreira – protagonist, a sympathetic young Portuguese immigrant who works for the Lincoln family. The story unfolds mostly through her eyes.

Cal (Calli Patterson) – Ana’s childhood best friend; her mixed racial heritage plays a major role in their relationship and the story as a whole

Mary Todd Lincoln – Abraham Lincoln’s wife; the author fairly portrays Mary’s strengths and weaknesses, revealing the background from which the contradictory aspects of her character developed.

Abraham Lincoln – the author shows Lincoln’s roots and humanity as well as the elements of his character that made him great

William Donnegan – adventurous Black cobbler, he conducted escapees from slavery to their next destination in their struggle for freedom

Spencer Donnegan – William’s brother, a barber (to Lincoln and many others) and African Methodist Episcopal preacher in Springfield; he used his talents to write an eloquent address to the people of Illinois, expressing Black demands for the education of Black children, and the repeal of the new Black exclusion laws restricting the settlement of free Blacks in Illinois

Owen Evans – Ana’s husband, he’s a journalist who reports on the Lincoln-Douglas debates. He supports Lincoln and volunteers for the Union Army.

Joao Ferreira – Ana’s younger brother: along with his Portuguese friends, he supports Lincoln and volunteers for the Union Army

Cameo appearances:

Frederick Douglass – enslaved and orphaned as a boy, he became a famous Black orator who opposed colonization of Blacks to Africa; in 1866, after the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, he speaks in Springfield, arguing for Blacks’ right to vote and warning about the danger that Blacks’ rights (that had only recently been won) would be stripped away.

Stephen Douglas – Lincoln’s opponent in both the campaign for the U.S. Senate from Illinois (in which Douglas defeated Lincoln in 1858) and the presidential race (which Lincoln won in 1860). Douglas didn’t want to offend Southern states by opposing slavery. He declares that only all White men are created equal, while Lincoln insists that Blacks are equal to Whites. His character comes across as weak, especially after Ana hears him tell a lie–that Lincoln would make war on slavery in slaveholding states.

Strengths:

The House of Lincoln brings to life the historical figures of Abraham and Mary Lincoln and their sons, Stephen Douglas, and Frederick Douglass, as well as the fictional characters. The novel also helps readers understand the characters’ (and U.S. society’s) underlying motivations and conflicts.

Weakness:

I found this novel’s beginning a bit slow, but it lays the groundwork for the story, and the pace picks up.

Content review:

The House of Lincoln includes descriptions of some of the violence inflicted on Blacks during this era.

My recommendation:

This novel’s plot is somewhat complex, yet entertaining, suspenseful, and historically accurate. If you appreciate a well-spun plot full of twists and turns, rich characters, and desire a deeper understanding of people and events, you’ll enjoy The House of Lincoln.

Reader, which historical novels have given you new insight into a familiar story?