Scan barcode
bookwormmelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It will be published on March 8, 2022.
Fowler's Booth is a literary historical novel about the family of John Wilkes Booth. We learn about his father, a famous actor, his mother, and his 9 siblings. Many of his siblings alternate POV and tell the story of their family, and interspersed, we get snippets of Lincoln's own writings, quotes, and story that follows the same timeline as the main story, which really helps to place the story in real time and drives it to its ultimate climax. I could not put this book down, and while I feel it could have been a little shorter, the family members were so well-written. What about the family members of a famous killer? Fowler answers this question brilliantly, and many of the themes are surprisingly prescient to today.
Fowler's Booth is a literary historical novel about the family of John Wilkes Booth. We learn about his father, a famous actor, his mother, and his 9 siblings. Many of his siblings alternate POV and tell the story of their family, and interspersed, we get snippets of Lincoln's own writings, quotes, and story that follows the same timeline as the main story, which really helps to place the story in real time and drives it to its ultimate climax. I could not put this book down, and while I feel it could have been a little shorter, the family members were so well-written. What about the family members of a famous killer? Fowler answers this question brilliantly, and many of the themes are surprisingly prescient to today.
rahiho's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
karrama's review against another edition
5.0
A Civil War historical non fiction about Lincoln's assassination told through a family saga lens, outlining the many Booth actors in the generation that made one brother infamous while resonating without naming the divides of our current political culture. Junius Brutus Booth was a Shakespearean actor who moved his family into the countryside. The large family lived a farming life when they were not in the very busy cities, learning Shakespeare and growing strong-headed to a one. Many of the brothers took to the stage, traveling the huge country from Maryland to San Francisco and spending time on the London scene.
The story does not start or end with the fateful bullet, it's told through letters and impressions gathered from those around the family. We knew that Edwin, Jun, and Johnny Booth were all actors, but the lives they lived with their alcoholic father and Asia and Rosalind with strong opinions and small stages in the home as women. The unironic declarations of the plays as being low entertainment by Asia when it's discovered Lincoln died at a theater and John's feeling of being bound due to the restrictions of the Union are noted and apt. Small vignettes of Lincoln's life concurrent with the lives of the Booths.
The story does not start or end with the fateful bullet, it's told through letters and impressions gathered from those around the family. We knew that Edwin, Jun, and Johnny Booth were all actors, but the lives they lived with their alcoholic father and Asia and Rosalind with strong opinions and small stages in the home as women. The unironic declarations of the plays as being low entertainment by Asia when it's discovered Lincoln died at a theater and John's feeling of being bound due to the restrictions of the Union are noted and apt. Small vignettes of Lincoln's life concurrent with the lives of the Booths.
koz108's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
jrmarr's review against another edition
5.0
Who are the people in the lives of the infamous ‘villains’ of history? How do lives unfurl that lead to the world’s defining moments? This book explores the lives of the Booth family in such detail I had to remind myself it was a novel. Intricately researched, densely written and so well constructed to show how the paths of John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln meet. We don’t spend much time with Booth himself, but can see his journey towards infamy and the tragedy of his family so clearly.
macbeckyton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
manderzreadz's review against another edition
4.0
This isn’t a book that you read in one sitting-you have to spend time and ruminate over the different characters and their developments. Luckily so, I had a super busy week that forced me to do this and consequently I enjoyed the book much more than I first anticipated when starting.
Booth gives you an insider knowledge of the Booth family and thrives on character development rather than plot. Fowler does a great job writing on this subject without idolizing or giving attention to the person that first made “Booth” a name in the history books. I would recommend for readers that like slow builds and heavily historically-“facted” fiction.
Booth gives you an insider knowledge of the Booth family and thrives on character development rather than plot. Fowler does a great job writing on this subject without idolizing or giving attention to the person that first made “Booth” a name in the history books. I would recommend for readers that like slow builds and heavily historically-“facted” fiction.
bookshelvish's review against another edition
4.0
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I ate this up. This is one of the most beautiful hardcovers I own (and signed!!!), but I listened to this on audio because sometimes I do better when a narrator keeps things moving for me and I could tell this one didn’t have an abundance of dialogue. I also think if you’re not into American history/civil war history that this probably won’t hit for you, but if you like biographic historical fiction this will be your bag. It’s the story of John Wilkes Booth (who assassinated Abe Lincoln) told from the POV of all of his siblings. I thought it was REALLY well done.
tangerine7199's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Very interesting premise but this needed 200 pages shaved off it