After assassinating
President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth escaped but only got as far as a
barn in Virginia. His death affected the four women he was closest to
probably more than his life.
The early part of
the story is told by his mother Mary Ann. Although not married to
John's father, Junius Brutus Booth, an acclaimed actor, Mary raised
their children and kept Junius from his self-destructive tendencies
for many years. John Wilkes was Mary's favorite although she knew he
was capable of great accomplishment or destructive evil
Asia, John Wilkes'
sister, was devoted to him. She adored her brother and tried to help
him achieve his goal of being a great tragic actor.
Lucy Hale, daughter
of a senator, was supposedly John Wilkes' finacée
although historical records are not clear. She is portrayed as a
naive girl flattered by the attention of a famous actor.
Mary Surratt, owner
of the boarding house where the plot to kill Lincoln was hatched,
appears to have been skeptical of John Wilkes and more concerned for
the safety of her son who had joined Wilkes in the plot. After
Wilkes' death all of these women suffered, but Mary paid the ultimate
price.
I found the story of
the four women who were closest to Booth fascinating, although I had
been expecting to see more of him in his role as conspirator. We have
only one chapter where we see the action through his eyes. The book
starts with his parents' romance and later his childhood and
adolescence. It's interesting to see what the author believes molded
him into the person he was, but if you're expecting to dive into the
conspiracy you have to get through most of the book first.
I enjoyed the book,
but recommend it only if you're interested in how Wilkes affected
the people around him.
I received this book
from Random House for this review.
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