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A review by bookswritingandmore
I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War by Jerome Charyn
3.0
If you've ever wanted to be inside Abraham Lincoln's head, this is the book for you!
I've always been a bit intrigued with President Lincoln and the life he lived on his way to the White House. This book is expertly written by Jerome Charyn. You can immediately tell that a lot of work and dedication went into each and every detail shown in this historical novel. It is a first person account told by Mr. Lincoln himself. Never before have I read such a well put together history of the life of Abraham Lincoln.
Rather than just reciting a series of dry facts, the story comes alive through the story written in the first person narrator, Abraham himself. The book covers the period from Lincoln's life starting out as a young man to the end of his life. The opening scene takes us back to that faithful night that Mr. Lincoln lost his life at the theatre and then effortlessly takes us back to when Lincoln was a young man just scraping by.
Abraham had nothing with which to make his way except his own willingness to work and scrap by. He fought as a young man to get an education, which was nearly impossible since his father wanted the exact opposite for him. He makes his living however he can with various occupations moving towards the occupation of being a lawyer and a circuit judge. His poverty means that he is not accepted in the higher circles of society and that suits him just fine, as he is uncomfortable around such people and their lives. He goes to parties and dinners occasionally, and meets Mary Todd. Against the objections of her family, he woos and wins her; their marriage blessed with four sons.
As he moves into politics, Lincoln finds himself fighting and arguing for his passion of freeing the slaves. From the beginning, he is quite good at rallying a crowd to agree with him. He rails against slavery leading to the creation of the Republican party. When he is elected President it is not a popular move with the Southern states who promptly succeed, leaving Lincoln to start his Presidency with the biggest, most divisive war in the country's history.
This entire book is such a great account of President Lincoln and his rise to the presidency. It has rich history, vivid scenes, and even shares with us some little known facts about the women and friends Lincoln comes across in his travels to becoming America's president.
Jerome Charyn's "I Am Abraham" is a bittersweet tale that seems to gives us a unique look into Abraham Lincoln's life. We get to see a thought-provoking and melancholic side of a man who did everything possible to bring the United States and its people together in so many ways. Abraham Lincoln fought for so much, and achieved such greatness, that he's remembered for his goodness. Yes, he had his demons, and there were times when he thought he couldn't go on, but he persevered. He did his best to fulfill every one of his duties and then some.
The perfect book for anyone who is looking for an intimate account of President Lincoln's early years and how he got his start.
I've always been a bit intrigued with President Lincoln and the life he lived on his way to the White House. This book is expertly written by Jerome Charyn. You can immediately tell that a lot of work and dedication went into each and every detail shown in this historical novel. It is a first person account told by Mr. Lincoln himself. Never before have I read such a well put together history of the life of Abraham Lincoln.
Rather than just reciting a series of dry facts, the story comes alive through the story written in the first person narrator, Abraham himself. The book covers the period from Lincoln's life starting out as a young man to the end of his life. The opening scene takes us back to that faithful night that Mr. Lincoln lost his life at the theatre and then effortlessly takes us back to when Lincoln was a young man just scraping by.
Abraham had nothing with which to make his way except his own willingness to work and scrap by. He fought as a young man to get an education, which was nearly impossible since his father wanted the exact opposite for him. He makes his living however he can with various occupations moving towards the occupation of being a lawyer and a circuit judge. His poverty means that he is not accepted in the higher circles of society and that suits him just fine, as he is uncomfortable around such people and their lives. He goes to parties and dinners occasionally, and meets Mary Todd. Against the objections of her family, he woos and wins her; their marriage blessed with four sons.
As he moves into politics, Lincoln finds himself fighting and arguing for his passion of freeing the slaves. From the beginning, he is quite good at rallying a crowd to agree with him. He rails against slavery leading to the creation of the Republican party. When he is elected President it is not a popular move with the Southern states who promptly succeed, leaving Lincoln to start his Presidency with the biggest, most divisive war in the country's history.
This entire book is such a great account of President Lincoln and his rise to the presidency. It has rich history, vivid scenes, and even shares with us some little known facts about the women and friends Lincoln comes across in his travels to becoming America's president.
Jerome Charyn's "I Am Abraham" is a bittersweet tale that seems to gives us a unique look into Abraham Lincoln's life. We get to see a thought-provoking and melancholic side of a man who did everything possible to bring the United States and its people together in so many ways. Abraham Lincoln fought for so much, and achieved such greatness, that he's remembered for his goodness. Yes, he had his demons, and there were times when he thought he couldn't go on, but he persevered. He did his best to fulfill every one of his duties and then some.
The perfect book for anyone who is looking for an intimate account of President Lincoln's early years and how he got his start.