I of course knew most of the story of the assassination, but to see the theater itself was amazing.
Have you ever read Henry and Clara by Thomas Mallon? For those who don't know it, look at this engraving.
The couple there with the President and Mrs. Lincoln are Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris, who actually were at the theater, seated with the First Couple that night. The novel tells the story of Henry and Clara, who grew up as step-brother and step-sister when his father and her mother died, and the surviving parents married each other. Eventually they fell in love, and were determined to marry, despite a lot of opposition from all sides. Their life together was turbulent, to say the least. I'd never heard of either of them, although I've always been familiar with the above engraving, just never thought about who those two other people were.
I read the last twenty pages with my mouth dropped open, as Mallon tells you what eventually happened to the two of them. This is an incredible book, clearly well-researched, and I'd recommend it to one and all. Heck, I have more than once been in a bookstore, fallen into conversation with another customer, and wound up selling that book.
Actually, everything of Mallon's that I've read is excellent.
Edit history
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
= new reply since forum marked as read