The First Lady and the Rebel: A Novel

by Susan Higginbotham

Overview

From celebrated author Susan Higginbotham comes an incredible book about Abraham Lincoln's First Lady and, on the other side of the Civil War, her sister.

A Union's First Lady

As the Civil War cracks the country in two, Mary Lincoln stands beside her husband praying for a swift Northern victory. But as the body count rises, Mary can't help but fear each bloody gain. Because her beloved sister Emily is across party lines, fighting for the South, and Mary is at risk of losing both her country and her family in the tides of a brutal war.

A Confederate Rebel's Wife

Emily Todd Helm has married the love of her life. But when her husband's southern ties pull them into a war neither want to join, she must make a choice. Abandon the family she has built in the South or become a true rebel woman fighting against the sister she has always loved best.

With a country's legacy at stake, how will two sisters shape history?

A Civil War book about two women determined to do the right thing, The First Lady and the Rebel is sure to inspire fans of Marie Benedict and Stephanie Dray.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492647089
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	381,548
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Susan Higginbotham is the author of seven historical novels, including Hanging Mary, The Stolen Crown, and The Queen of Last Hopes. The Traitor's Wife, her first novel, was the winner of ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and was a Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. She writes her own historical fiction blog, History Refreshed. Higginbotham has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in Maryland with her family.

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2019

Higginbotham (Hanging Mary) memorably depicts the relationship between Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister, Emily Todd Helm, wife of a Confederate general, against the backdrop of the Civil War. As a young unmarried woman in 1839, Mary Todd travels from her home in Lexington, Ky., to live with her married sister, Elizabeth Edwards, in Springfield, Ill. While in Springfield, Mary meets Abraham Lincoln, the law partner of her cousin John Todd Stuart. Abraham is attracted to Mary’s intellect and her interest in politics, and though they break off their initial engagement when Abraham gets cold feet, they eventually marry in 1842. After Abraham becomes president, he offers a job to his brother-in-law, Hardin Helm, who is married to Mary’s younger sister, Emily. But Hardin declines the job and offers his services to Jefferson Davis. After both women’s husbands die in war-related incidents, their once close relationship is fractured by hatred for the enemy responsible for those deaths. Higginbotham does a great job portraying her characters with complexity and nuance, while also illuminating the circumstances of a war that tore families apart. Historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this revealing view of the relationship between Union supporter Mary and her Southern-sympathizing sister. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Susan Higginbotham has done it again—crafted a richly detailed novel that immerses readers in America’s Civil War. The First Lady and the Rebel explores the tragic story of a family and a nation torn apart, while shedding light on rarely reported events in the personal life of Abraham Lincoln. Mary Todd Lincoln, the President’s wife, and her sister, Emily Todd Helm, are devoted to their husbands and to each other, yet find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict as they face overwhelming grief and loss. The novel presents a devastating time and place rendered so vividly you’ll feel as if you’d lived through the war yourself. Higginbotham’s painstaking and extensive research is evident from the engaging first chapter to the novel’s moving conclusion. For those who like their historical novels based on real people, this book is a must-read." — Amy Belding Brown, author of Flight of the Sparrow

"Well-told and engaging...an enjoyable and solid piece of historical fiction." — All About Romance

"Higginbotham does a great job portraying her characters with complexity and nuance, while also illuminating the circumstances of a war that tore families apart. Historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this revealing view of the relationship between Union supporter Mary and her Southern-sympathizing sister." — Publishers Weekly

"This work pays meticulous attention to historical detail while weaving an enthralling tale of the private life of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, as well as the ups and downs of Mary’s relationship with Emily. This page-turner will please those who enjoy Civil War–era settings." — Library Journal

"Higginbotham is a meticulous researcher, and The First Lady and the Rebel reveals a tenuous, often fraught relationship, not uncommon between two sisters, that will fascinate her readers." — Booklist

"It is well-researched and full of detail about American history" — Historical Novel Society

"Historical fiction at it best: A unique, intimate view of a character we thought we knew. The Civil War comes to life through two sisters on opposite sides, one the first lady of the not-so United States. And through it all, a fascinating family saga. I learned a lot and loved this book." — Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of American Duchess

"Susan Higginbotham's The First Lady and the Rebel is a meticulously researched and powerfully written account of the complicated and compelling relationship between the Todd sisters. Higginbotham's two female protagonists are bonded by blood and love, but pulled apart by war. Set against the sweeping backdrop of our nation's Civil War, this is the tragic and true story of human hearts both fierce and fallible, of deeply mixed loyalties, and of the imperfect but inspiring individuals who were asked to do the unimaginable. Moving and enlightening." — Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Empress

From the Publisher

09/01/2019

The American Civil War tore apart friends and families, with brother fighting against brother—and sister against sister. Higginbotham's novel introduces Mary and Emily Todd as young girls in Kentucky; their family, like many others, keeps some slaves. The story quickly shifts to Springfield, the new capital of Illinois, where Mary, always of a political bent, finds the man she wants to marry—Abraham Lincoln. Emily also journeys to Springfield, but her heart lies closer to home, with a Mr. Helm. Though Lincoln and Helm have respect for each other, they, and therefore the sisters, are on opposite sides of the Great Conflict. The war shapes their lives and their private joys and tragedies as well as the public ones. Like Jennifer Chiaverini's Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, this work pays meticulous attention to historical detail while weaving an enthralling tale of the private life of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, as well as the ups and downs of Mary's relationship with Emily. VERDICT This page-turner will please those who enjoy Civil War-era settings. This may also appeal to readers of Higginbotham's previous historicals (Margaret Pole: The Countess in the Tower), though they are set much earlier and for the most part in England.—Pamela O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY

Library Journal