BookBrowse Reviews Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard

BookBrowse:

A novel about the brilliant future president and the two people who knew him best.

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19 out of 21 of our First Impression Reviewers rated Louis Bayard's latest novel, Courting Mr. Lincoln, 4- or 5-star for an average overall rating of 4.4.

What it's about:
As a quick skim through American history could show, it's often tough being First Lady; your husband's opponents are vicious while you are alive, and historians even more damning once you are dead. This is certainly true of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary. The Mary Todd Lincoln of popular lore is unsympathetic; it's hard to grasp why Lincoln married her. In this exquisitely written slice of historical fiction, Louis Bayard brings to life the 1840s social milieu of Springfield, Illinois, where brilliant, ungainly Abraham Lincoln is getting his start in politics, and pretty, plump strong-willed Mary Todd is in town looking for a husband. Using historical details with light, accurate touch, Bayard serves up a Mary that Lincoln could find attractive: intelligent, politically engaged, and socially prominent. Among other winning personalities is Joshua Speed, Lincoln's friend and confident, who smooths Lincoln's rough edges (Julia E).

Our readers felt this novel is historical fiction at its finest:
Historical fiction seems to be among the most difficult of genres to write; you have to create a "character" that competes with a pre-existing idea the reader has of that person, honor what history has shown us, and yet create your own world, your own story - all while battling the additional challenges of a period piece, which can so easily create caricatures instead of characters. I am happy to say that Louis Bayard has overcome these problems and created a beautiful and engaging story that feels more like a time machine than a work of fiction (Sarah H). The author has quite an eye for historical detail and the book is filled with both humor and poignancy (Sandra L). His skillful use of 19th century turn of phrase and nuance of speech is perfect (Diana C).

Many appreciated the delicacy of Bayard's approach to Lincoln's relationships:
The exploration of the relationships between Mary Todd, Lincoln, and Joshua Speed is beautifully captured. Much of it pulled at my heartstrings! (Sandra L). The descriptions of Lincoln's disquieting social awkwardness and the not-so-subtle suggestion of a deeper fondness between Lincoln and Speed is deftly interwoven throughout the prose, exposing the complicated intricacies of such feelings between men of a certain social standing in the mid-19th century (Diana C).

The highlight, though, was his portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln:
Bayard's Mary Todd is not the crazy harridan political rivals and some historians have painted her, but a charming and thoughtful young woman interested in politics who falls in love with the somewhat uncouth Lincoln (Suzette P). I especially enjoyed the way in which the author described her unabashedly engaging men in conversation, particularly focusing on subjects that were never discussed in mixed company such as politics and current events (Diana C). I recently read Michelle Obama's Becoming in which she discusses her life with an up-and-coming Illinois politician. I enjoyed comparing the two - pondering the accomplishments of Michelle and thinking about the sorts of things Mary Todd could have achieved if she had not been limited by the historical period in which she was born (Suzette P).

Some readers found the story dragged at times:
I rated this book 4 stars because at times it did progress slowly (Doris K). I found it a slow read and it didn't always hold my attention (Mary Jane D).

Nevertheless, Courting Mr. Lincoln received high praise from most of our First Impression reviewers:
Bayard's book is superb, and I highly recommended it (Suzette P). It's perfect fodder for book clubs in search of brilliantly crafted historical fiction (Julia E). The novel is also appropriate for young adult readers - lightly written, with no overt violence or sex (Marcia F). History lovers will cherish this (Diane S).

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in May 2019, and has been updated for the February 2020 edition. Click here to go to this issue.