Helpful Score: 1
Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth by Jennifer Chiaverini is is not a story of suspense, for history tells us both of his actions and of the consequences of those actions. The book feels a bit long at times, but it is an engaging one. Ultimately, this book is a story of four women who love a man despite his faults and of their memories not of a traitor but of a son, a brother, and a lover.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/09/fates-and-traitors.html.
Reviewed for the Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/09/fates-and-traitors.html.
Reviewed for the Penguin First to Read program.
Jody M. (jodymcgrath) -
Helpful Score: 1
*I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
John Wilkes Booth is a name everyone still knows today. He was the assassinator of President Abraham Lincoln. Whiles this is a story of that fateful day, it is also so much more. It tells the story of Wilkes' life from the perspective of the 4 women who knew him the best; his beloved mother, his adoring sister, his secret fiancé, and his co-conspirator.
Although it is a fictionalization of his life, the author really put a lot of research and facts into the story. This could be exactly what happened behind the scenes. Jennifer Chiaverini brings these characters to life, the way most history books fail to do. She does not take away the evil acts of John Wilkes Booth, but she reminds us all that he was also a man, who had a life and people who loved him.
She starts her story before Wilkes was even born, with his mother Mary Ann. Mary Ann was written as a mother who loved her son, her favorite son, to the point where she overlooked his flaws. She refused to see the man he was becoming, holding tight to the boy he was.
Next the story is picked up by his sister, Asia. Asia idolized her brother, and loved him even though she saw the path he was heading towards. Even after that fateful night, she still never stopped loving the brother she knew.
Lucy Hale is our third storyteller, and her story is one of romance and love. This was perhaps the most fictionalized portion of the story. Although, it was common knowledge that Wilkes was courting Lucy, most of this naïve love affair is based on rumors and conjectures. Still, it is completely plausible and gives us a different perspective of John Wilkes Booth.
Our last woman storyteller is Mary Surratt, the owner of the boardinghouse where Wilkes planned various traitorous acts. The author is able to make her a sympathetic character, even though she is a knowing participant in certain events.
The action of the assassination is told by Wilkes himself, whom by this time is not only a villian in your mind, but a man fighting for his beliefs, however zealous they might be.
The author wraps up the story beautifully, by alternating points of view to show the aftermath and the effects Wilkes' act brought onto others.
This is not just a story about a day in history, this is the story of a man's life and the lives of those he loved. It is an excellent book and will be adored not only by those who like historical novels, but also those who enjoy literary fiction. I recommend this book strongly, to everyone who knows that there is always two sides of every story.
John Wilkes Booth is a name everyone still knows today. He was the assassinator of President Abraham Lincoln. Whiles this is a story of that fateful day, it is also so much more. It tells the story of Wilkes' life from the perspective of the 4 women who knew him the best; his beloved mother, his adoring sister, his secret fiancé, and his co-conspirator.
Although it is a fictionalization of his life, the author really put a lot of research and facts into the story. This could be exactly what happened behind the scenes. Jennifer Chiaverini brings these characters to life, the way most history books fail to do. She does not take away the evil acts of John Wilkes Booth, but she reminds us all that he was also a man, who had a life and people who loved him.
She starts her story before Wilkes was even born, with his mother Mary Ann. Mary Ann was written as a mother who loved her son, her favorite son, to the point where she overlooked his flaws. She refused to see the man he was becoming, holding tight to the boy he was.
Next the story is picked up by his sister, Asia. Asia idolized her brother, and loved him even though she saw the path he was heading towards. Even after that fateful night, she still never stopped loving the brother she knew.
Lucy Hale is our third storyteller, and her story is one of romance and love. This was perhaps the most fictionalized portion of the story. Although, it was common knowledge that Wilkes was courting Lucy, most of this naïve love affair is based on rumors and conjectures. Still, it is completely plausible and gives us a different perspective of John Wilkes Booth.
Our last woman storyteller is Mary Surratt, the owner of the boardinghouse where Wilkes planned various traitorous acts. The author is able to make her a sympathetic character, even though she is a knowing participant in certain events.
The action of the assassination is told by Wilkes himself, whom by this time is not only a villian in your mind, but a man fighting for his beliefs, however zealous they might be.
The author wraps up the story beautifully, by alternating points of view to show the aftermath and the effects Wilkes' act brought onto others.
This is not just a story about a day in history, this is the story of a man's life and the lives of those he loved. It is an excellent book and will be adored not only by those who like historical novels, but also those who enjoy literary fiction. I recommend this book strongly, to everyone who knows that there is always two sides of every story.
