I think it is pretty fun to read about historical figures and events in a context outside of a textbook. I enjoyed reading the book and was partial to the Boston setting since I grew up around there. The murder plot was well written but I think the author tried to make a couple of points about society during the time period that weren't really clear; the uptick in violence after the end of the Civil War and a city dealing with the black man's changing place in society. The copy I read had ... (show more)

I think it is pretty fun to read about historical figures and events in a context outside of a textbook. I enjoyed reading the book and was partial to the Boston setting since I grew up around there. The murder plot was well written but I think the author tried to make a couple of points about society during the time period that weren't really clear; the uptick in violence after the end of the Civil War and a city dealing with the black man's changing place in society. The copy I read had an interview with the author at the end that explains this but otherwise I wouldn't have picked it out. I think he could have developed the charachter of Officer Rey and included him more in the story instead of just using him when necessary to drive the plot forward. Other than that, it's easy to read, even if you don't have a vast knowledge of the time period or the famous poets. (show less)

We all know Lincoln as the great 16th president who stood up against slavery, united a torn nation and was tragically assasinated for it. This book goes much deeper into the details that get glossed over in the grade school version of history to show how Lincoln's depression and society's perception of depression helped him be rememebered this way. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history as much as I would to someone who is grappling with understanding depression.... (show more)

We all know Lincoln as the great 16th president who stood up against slavery, united a torn nation and was tragically assasinated for it. This book goes much deeper into the details that get glossed over in the grade school version of history to show how Lincoln's depression and society's perception of depression helped him be rememebered this way. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history as much as I would to someone who is grappling with understanding depression. Lincoln becomes the ideal of what is possible when we embrace depression for all that it is instead of shun it and I think Joshua Shenk has done well to humanized both a massive historical figure and a debilitating illness. (show less)