The Lincolns : A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary book review

 The Lincolns : A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fleming, Candace. The Lincolns : A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. New York, Schwartz & Wade Books, 2008.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

 The Lincolns  follows the lives from birth to death of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Set in the arrangement of newspaper clippings, the book is divided into chapters throughout their lives. Their separate upbringings are the first two chapters of the book. Chapter 3 establishes their relationship and their combined lives in Illinois. Chapter 4 is about his political rise and Mary’s social rise. We are introduced to their sons and home life.  Politically heating up is the issue of slavery which began pitting North vs South. After the presidential election, tensions were rising even more. Chapter 5 surrounds the Lincolns settling into Washington D.C. and the buildup to the Civil War. Chapter 6 begins with the death of their son, Willy. Both Abraham and Mary mourned in their own ways. Meanwhile, Lincoln issues war orders, writes the Emancipation Proclamation, and tries to escape from the pressures of being President. The rest of the chapter highlights the significant battles of the Civil War. The Gettysburg Address along with the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction focused on the future. Chapter 7 focuses on sieges in the South and Lincoln’s reelection in 1864. Both the Lincolns’ decline in health (physical for Abraham and mental for Mary) are touched upon as well. The chapter takes a look at the 13th Amendment and a few famous firsts include taxes and the Transcontinental Railroad to name a few. The end of the chapter depicts the victory of the Union soldiers and the surrender of the Confederate soldiers. Lincoln’s assassination is accounted for from events leading up to and after. Chapter 8 is about Mary’s mourning and inability to settle down after his death. She struggles to control her emotions and escapes America for foreign countries. She returns with her youngest son to Chicago where he falls ill and dies. Her depression becomes worse and she moves around several times in 4 years. Her son Robert sends her to an insane asylum of which she is taken out of by her sister. She had no access to her money for a year. When she regained her money from her son Robert, she left for 4 years abroad. She returns back to her sister’s house to live out the rest of her days alone and withdrawn. Mary died in 1882 of a stroke.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In regards to the accuracy of the book, Fleming begins with an acknowledgement to scholars, experts, archivists, and friends who helped during the 5 years of research. An introduction based on her living in the “Land of Lincoln”. Her childhood was embedded with connections to the Lincoln family. She introduces facts about Mary Lincoln rather than preconceived notions of the reputation of her. Fleming wanted to give an intimate portrait of the Lincoln family. The timeline she included uses Roman text for Abraham and Italicized for Mary’s events. The organization of the book is chronological while using a newspaper layout.  She uses a blend of newspaper articles and scrapbook pages to bring history to life. Letters, pictures, drawings, maps, and newspaper political ads are all included. Mary Lincoln is portrayed in a much different way than what has been written in other historical accounts. There are timelines, an index, table of contents, and to learn more sections. The design of the book is captivating. It doesn’t read as a typical book in that it’s more of a newspaper style. The graphics look original to the setting of the timeline. The newspaper articles are snippets of reading instead of a large chapter. The style is set like the 1800’s with the typeface crooked as of that time. This book is suggested for grades 7 and up. The book as a whole is rather large and could deter readers from reading cover to cover. However, the book can be read for certain time periods in their lives, or specific events. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist starred (September 15, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 2))

Grades 7-12. Using the same innovative scrapbook format employed in Ben Franklin’s Almanac (2003) and Our Eleanor (2005), Fleming offers another standout biographical title, this time twining accounts of two lives—Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln—into one fascinating whole. On spreads that combine well-chosen visuals with blocks of headlined text, Fleming gives a full, birth-to-death view of the “inextricably bound” Lincolns. Once again, Fleming humanizes her subjects and offers a broader perspective on their times with cleverly juxtaposed facts, anecdotes, and images. One page, for example, combines an 1861 map of the divided U.S. with detailed descriptions of what the new president and First Lady each tackled the day after Lincoln’s inauguration (Fort Sumter and securing a dressmaker, respectively). Although the reproductions are often small and dark, the intriguing visual mix will easily draw readers and browsers alike. Included are paintings and etchings of heartrending historical events, church documents, handwritten notes, and political cartoons. Fleming’s writing, filled with quotes and personal details, is just as lively as the assortment of images, and an extensive timeline, suggested resources, and source notes round out the text. Starting with her personal introduction, this exemplary resource will prompt readers to consider how an individual’s life story, and a country’s history, are constructed.

5. CONNECTIONS

Students create their own newspaper clipping of an event in Lincoln's life.

Students create a timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life.

Students can research another US President.

Similar book:

Fleming, Candace. The Family Romanov : Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia. New York, Random House Children’s Books, 2014.