Courting Mr. Lincoln (Fic014000, HIGHBRIDGE)

by Louis Bayard

A page-turning novel about the brilliant, melancholic future president and the two people who knew him best: his handsome and charming confidant (and roommate), Joshua Speed, and the spirited young debutante Mary Todd.

A Washington Post Bestseller
A May Indie Next Pick
An Apple Books Best of the Month for April
A People Magazine Best Book of the Week

"Exquisite." --People
"A triumph of a novel." --Bookreporter.com
"Rich, fascinating, and romantic." --Newsday

When Mary Todd meets Abraham Lincoln in Springfield in the winter of 1840, he is on no one's short list to be president. A country lawyer living above a dry goods shop, he is lacking both money and manners, and his gift for oratory surprises those who meet him. Mary, a quick, self-possessed debutante with an interest in debates and elections, at first finds him an enigma. "I can only hope," she tells his roommate, the handsome, charming Joshua Speed, "that his waters being so very still, they also run deep."
It's not long, though, before she sees the Lincoln that Speed knows: an amiable, profound man who, despite his awkwardness, has a gentle wit to match his genius, and who respects her keen political mind. But as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, she must confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who has taught his roommate how to dance, dress, and navigate the polite society of Springfield.

Told in the alternating voices of Mary Todd and Joshua Speed, and inspired by historical events, Courting Mr. Lincoln creates a sympathetic and complex portrait of Mary unlike any that has come before; a moving portrayal of the deep and very real connection between the two men; and most of all, an evocation of the unformed man who would grow into one of the nation's most beloved presidents. Louis Bayard, a master storyteller, delivers here a page-turning tale of love, longing, and forbidden possibilities.

• ISBN10: 1616208473
• ISBN13: 9781616208479
• Publish Date: 23 April 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 23 December 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Courting Mr. Lincoln in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Courting Mr. Lincoln is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Abraham Lincoln – but with a twist. This novel takes a deeper look at the people so pivotal in Lincoln's life; Mary Todd and Joshua Speed.

Mary Todd is the woman that Abraham Lincoln would one day marry. That's a story many history fans are well aware of. But what of her life leading up to their introduction? Or their time of the courtship itself? These are frequently overlooked parts of the story.

Then there's Joshua Speed, the famous best friend of Lincoln. His story is yet another that has been slimmed down to a one-dimensional focus. That is what makes his half of this novel so breathtaking.

“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”

Courting Mr. Lincoln was simultaneously everything I had hoped for, and so much more. Not being a major history buff, I was nonetheless highly curious to see this unique take on such important and famous historical figures.

Thanks to school, we all know the basics of this story – or more accurately, the story to come. Yet there was something so beautifully human about seeing the story from an earlier point in time. For the first time ever it felt like the people in Lincoln's life were given a chance to shine, and thus a chance to appear three dimensional. And so utterly human.

The book itself is a split perspective storytelling style. The chapters rotate back and forth between Mary Todd's perspective, and that of Joshua Speed. It was fascinating trying to get into their heads, thanks to the insight of Louis Bayard.

I can tell you with complete honesty that I don't typically read novels of this specific type – but there was something about the description that really attracted me to Courting Mr. Lincoln. I'm so grateful that I took the risk and read it because it really did blow me away.

I'm saying that specifically because it always bothers me when the details surrounding a historical figure tend to get flattened over time. For example, Mary Todd is portrayed as a grieving mother and wife – and nothing more. So getting a chance to see a different side of her, an earlier telling before all the pain that bombarded her life – was refreshing and very much needed.

For that reason alone, I will forever be grateful for what Bayard attempted to do here. I appreciated his perspective and his insight. Though naturally, not being the best in history, I can't speak much to the embellishments included, other than to say that they made these people easy to understand and connect with, which I imagine was the goal all along.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks