The First Lady and the Rebel

Higginbotham (Hanging Mary) memorably depicts the relationship between Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister, Emily Todd Helm, wife of a Confederate general, against the backdrop of the Civil War. As a young unmarried woman in 1839, Mary Todd travels from her home in Lexington, Ky., to live with her married sister, Elizabeth Edwards, in Springfield, Ill. While in Springfield, Mary meets Abraham Lincoln, the law partner of her cousin John Todd Stuart. Abraham is attracted to Mary’s intellect and her interest in politics, and though they break off their initial engagement when Abraham gets cold feet, they eventually marry in 1842. After Abraham becomes president, he offers a job to his brother-in-law, Hardin Helm, who is married to Mary’s younger sister, Emily. But Hardin declines the job and offers his services to Jefferson Davis. After both women’s husbands die in war-related incidents, their once close relationship is fractured by hatred for the enemy responsible for those deaths. Higginbotham does a great job portraying her characters with complexity and nuance, while also illuminating the circumstances of a war that tore families apart. Historical fiction enthusiasts will delight in this revealing view of the relationship between Union supporter Mary and her Southern-sympathizing sister. (Oct.)