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briaraq's review against another edition
2.0
This book is weird but beautifully written. It isn't really my cup of tea, but I would definitely recommend this to my history buff friends who love fiction.
em_harring's review against another edition
5.0
[4.5 stars]
I really, REALLY want to see this performed.
I really, REALLY want to see this performed.
tynathereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nica00's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely powerful & evocative.
I’d love to see a live performance of this someday.
I’d love to see a live performance of this someday.
bjlinard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
maryannetrengove's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars would be closer to accurate on this very short book by LeAnne Howe but I'm rounding up for the sheer ingenuity of this telling. I thought the concept of this book was so intriguing I found it, downloaded it, and sat in my car and listened to it in one sitting. To be fair, it is super short. But the idea that the former First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln's madness could be linked to the guilt she felt about what was happening to the Indigenous people at that time just hooked me from the beginning. To be honest, though, the story lost some of it's punch after the forward. Part of the problem for me was that the introduction by Susan Power actually gives you the entire story summarized in just a few pages and her summarization is simple and easy to understand. So, it was like hearing the whole story again as you listen to the book, although the audio version has unique creepy vibe and is really well produced. The book is a wildly imagined (albeit somewhat historically accurate) account of Mary Todd Lincoln after Lincoln's death when her mental illness is being played out nightly in the sanitorium where she has been committed by her son. The author takes bits and threads of facts like Mary Lincoln's documented reports that she was being visited by an "Indian" at night who tortured her and sews these scraps together with major historical events like the mass execution of 38 Dakota men in Mankato, Minnesota the day after Christmas in 1862. The result is one bewitching piece of work. The author cleverly ties the two events (Mary's nightmares and the execution) together in such a captivating and creepy way that you will be on a deep dive to find all evidence to support this truth once you entertain it. This book is super short and you can read it on your lunch break, but I recommend going in as blind as you can to get the full effect. The audio version includes the drumbeat of the Dakota at the end and is just about the most chilling thing I've ever heard. Really well done.
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
A fever dream fascinatingly both raw and lyrical, this exercise in dramatic frame interrogates historical perspective in a manner designed to disconcert, even to horrify. There is terrible beauty in the way nostalgic exceptionalism is toppled to make way for indignation and scorn, and the reader is left wondering not only what s/he just read, but what to do with it.
colorstream's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
marybethdelgado's review against another edition
1.0
I had this pre-ordered first thing when I heard it was coming out. Dissapointed, so much hatred and bordom came from reading this.