Mary: Mrs. A. Lincoln

Surprising, Engaging, Very Interesting

I picked this book up on a whim, and I am so glad I did! Having never read anything about Mary Lincoln, I was fascinated by this book!. The two perspectives in the book, retrospective of her early years and life with Abraham Lincoln, and her experience in the asylum were a fascinating contrast, and a great way to tell the story. There is much controversy surrounding Mary Todd Lincoln, and by reading the many reviews, there is much controversey over this book. It is fiction, but perhaps gives a glimps of what may have gone on in her mind. I couldn't put it down!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Who Would Have Guessed?? Great!

This came highly recommended to me by a bookstore employee and when I looked suprised and said it wasn't my thing, she promised me it would be great. It is!! This is my first historical novel and not only has it been a terrific read as a story, but it's an informative and fascinating historical perspective. The view the author has taken of Mary Todd Lincoln really makes her HUMAN instead of Lincoln's crazy wife. She is written with passion, human frailty, and perseverance. It's enjoyable all the way through.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great read!!!!

I absolutely adored this book! Could not put it down! I lent it out to everyone I know. I never really knew too much about Mary Todd Lincoln and although this is fiction a lot of the info about her is pretty accurate.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

20th century theories applied to 19th century woman

I enjoyed this novel, but I had to make myself finish it. The sadness, loneliness and pain in Mary Todd Lincoln's life--when I already knew what would happen at Ford's Theater later in the book---made it hard to persevere. In many ways it seemed that modern theories of the "withholding mother," sexual repression, even retail therapy were being applied to explain her actions.
This novel reminded me of Megan Chance's novel, An Inconvenient Wife in which a woman is threatened with committal to an insane asylum if she won't behave properly. It can also be compared to O'Farrell's British novel, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. These upper class women did not fit the mold and suffered for it.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Quite informative

Learned more about her than I ever knew. Truly a very sad life. Her son was a monster and probably would have been very different if President Lincoln had not been killed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A very good read!

Awesome book that is well written and spun from nonfiction information from history. I couldn't put it down!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A good read

I enjoyed this book. It is based on certain historical facts but the author goes beyond that to create an entertaining novel. Please don't accept every thing in the book as fact. Just enjoy it as a novel.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Unexpected!

This book will take you through the tormented life of Mary Todd Lincoln. You can't help but feel her pain all the while knowing you might not make the same choices. I enjoyed the book as a very different historical look into a part of our nation's history.

Historically Correct???????

Sorry, but I cannot recommend this book to anyone interested in the true story of Mary Lincoln Todd. Before I had read a little over half of the first hundred pages, it seemed as if I was reading a bad romance novel. The seduction of Abraham Lincoln??? I'm not even sure if I want to read anymore of this book if it's written in this manner. By way of warning, on the third page, there is a publisher's note: "This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously..." Yes, LOTS of imagination to come up with a story line such as this.

excellent reading

i didnt knowwhat to expect when i got this book, but i enjoyed reading about mrs lincoln. i do believe she had a mental disease and an addictive personality. i definitely enjoyed reading this book

Mary, Mrs. A. Lincoln

I've read a bio of Mary Todd before, and thought she was interesting, unusual and tragic. This book of historical fiction encompases all these attributes she possessed. A good deal of her unusualness (lunacy) is based on the fact that she did not behave with a conduct befitting of a woman at that time in history. Mary was a well educated, opinionated, hands on woman, who possessed a strong passion for life. This passion, according to this book, was the cause of most of her downfall. I absolutely enjoy this book. I am 3/4 through it, and can't wait to finish it. It is well written, and a very fast and enjoyable read.

A look into the private life of President and Mrs. Lincoln. Be prepared to be surprised when you learn of Mary's passionate personality and President Lincoln's bouts with severe depression.

I was surprised by Mary Lincoln's passionate nature as well as her idiosyncracies and indulgences. It's as if the author was present during President and Mrs. Lincoln's lifetime and witnessed their relationship, marriage and presidency personally. Mary and President Lincoln endured a great deal of misfortune and personal loss in a time of great upheaval in this country. President Lincoln suffered from severe depression throughout his life and the weight of the war ate at him causing him to lose his health. After reading this book, it gave me a three imensional view of what the North and South suffered during the Civil War. This is a book I highly recommend. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. Very well written!

Awesome

Could not put down. The author has fantastic writing abilities to hold the readers attention. If you like the Lincoln stories this is a must read! Enjoy!

Fun Slightly Brainly Historical Chick Lit

My headline says it all. If you love Phillipa Gregory, check this out.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Well Written

This is the first book I've read on Mary Lincoln. Although I don't know how much of the information is factual, yet... I had a hard time putting this book down. I wasn't aware that in addition to losing her husband she also lost three sons. Who wouldn't be a little crazy. I think she did amazingly well considering her grief. The book really humanized a woman who shared her life with one of America's greatest hero's.

I thought this book was OUTSTANDING!

I Loved the was the Author wrote. captivating! I don't remember ever reading a book that kept me interested all the way through. The subject was good but what a woman went through in that time period was unreal! They had know voice. I loved this book and very sad Ms.Newman has know other fiction out.

Loved It!

It was a great read. I knew little of Mary or Abe. The book made me a huge fan of Honest Abe, what a great guy. I also went in knowing that it was a novel...not always a true story.

Hated the portrayal of Mary Lincoln

I had to stop reading this book about 1/4 of the way through. I just could not stomach Newman's Mary Lincoln. Yes, technically, the writing is very good but the Mary Lincoln the author presents is whiny, needy, and a glutton for punishment. Not to mention the borderline nymphomania she exhibits with her reluctant husband. Perhaps Mary Lincoln displayed these personality traits in real life, but I doubt to such an extreme extent. To be fair, Newman's President Lincoln seems pretty accurate. But between the constant hopes that her oldest son would actually become affectionate and the constant attempts made by Mary to get her husband into the sack, I had to throw the book down in digust. And woven through all of the story is her flash-forwards to the mental asylum from which she is reflecting on her life. I think I'll stick to actual historical biographies next time.

A reviewer

I really loved this great book. I couldn't put it down! A must read if you are interested in the Lincoln family, death and mourning in the Victorian era, spiritualism, and the woman in Victorian society.

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