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.
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?