Don't go into this thinking it's just a book about Lincoln, because he's actually just a small part of it. It's more about Springfield and some of the people who crossed paths with him. We focus mainly on a young Portuguese immigrant who worked for the Lincoln family, along with a conductor for the Underground Railroad and Mary Lincoln, to a lesser extent.

I learned a lot from this book that I hadn't know before, such as about the Springfield race riots. I will say that this book definitely suffered a lot from telling and not showing though. There were many chapters that just felt like big info dumps of history, rather than having any of the characters experience these moments firsthand.

Overall, not a bad book and one I would recommend if you're into history, but not my favorite, either.

Nancy Horan's latest literary venture dives into the heart of 1851 Springfield, Illinois, through the eyes of Ana Ferreira, a young immigrant from Madeira, Portugal. In a narrative rich with historical fabric, Horan weaves the tale of the Ferreira family, who, after a harrowing escape from religious persecution in Madeira, find themselves grappling with the harsh realities of life in a new world. Their journey from the sugar cane fields of Trinidad to the uncertain promise of the United States is portrayed with vivid detail and emotional depth. Ana, quickly adapting to her new environment, becomes a bridge between her family and their new community, learning English and navigating the complexities of their new home.

I enjoyed this book!

Soft DNF around 12% Skimmed to full DNF around 20%

For something titled House of Lincoln, this wasn't what I was expecting. I felt there was too much background for a book that markets itself as a Lincoln-based novel.

Overall disappointed but glad I DNFd and didn't waste my time.

The novel begins in 1909 where Ana Ferreira is attending a birthday celebration of Abraham Lincoln. This is just a year after the Springfield Race Riot in 1908, where mass racial violence was committed against African-Americans in Illinois. This riot was a catalyst for the formation of the NAACP, which organized to work on civil rights of African Americans. A white angry mob protesting the suspected assault on a white woman by a black man erupted into violence. The story proceeds to describe the journey of Ana Ferreira and her family from Madeira, Portugal to Springfield, Illinois in 1849.

Ana was only 9 years-old when her family escaped religious persecution in Madeira, Portugal. Emmanuel and Genoveva Ferreira settled in a small Portuguese refugee community in Springfield, IL with their children Beatriz, Ana and Joao. In Portugal, the Catholics terrorized the Presbyterian converts forcing them to flee. Ana makes friends with Callie Patterson, a free black girl who still endures prejudice in her daily life which Ana finds confusing. In 1851, Ana goes to work at the age of 14 to work for Mary Todd Lincoln helping to care for her children Tad and Willie since her husband Abe traveled a lot. He was a lawyer and politician who eventually became the 16th and first Republican President of the USA.

The author relies on historical facts to present her perspective of what it was like to work in the House of Lincoln. This is presented from the view of Ana experiencing everyday life during the tumultuous time before the American Civil War outbreak in 1861. Ana learned about slavery and racial prejudice from her friendship with Callie which wasn't too different from the religious prejudice from which her family fled. This is a good read for history fanatics looking for a more personal "view" of what it might have been like during this time period.

Loving Frank is one of my all time favorite books so it’s possible to say that I had unrealistic expectations of The House of Lincoln. Unfortunately the story read incredibly dry and didn’t hold my attention.

The title itself also felt misleading as the story didn’t seem to include all that much about the Lincolns. Mary Lincoln’s character was quite interesting though.

I did love Ana as a character and loved the premise of the story. It unfortunately just never quite came together to resonate. Three stars.

An amazing read about a period and characters that I have not read much about. Abraham Lincoln and his family! I have read so many WWII historical fiction books lately that this was very interesting and fresh. Seems that the author did a lot of research.

This book was a delightful twist on historical fiction. I love historical fiction but have not read many set in this time period or around Lincoln. You can tell it was well researched. I enjoyed the characters and how well written it was.

Nancy Horan does a masterful job of combining fictional and real characters to bring history to life for her readers. I never realized how many lives were lost during the battles of the Civil War. It's shameful that despite the major changes President Lincoln brought about so long ago, our country is still struggling with racial and immigration issues. Some things never seem to change. Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Wow. Where do I start with this one? It has so very much to absorb. But it is worth it. A lot of characters to know and a lot of incidents to read about. For me it falls into the slower category as far as my reading goes. But was such a worthwhile read.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

A window into the Lincoln family from the perspective of history. What were Abraham and Mary like before the Presidency? A fresh perspective that brings in other fictional characters that provide their views on the man, the family, and politics.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to provide feedback on this book.

I tried and tried to get into this one, but unfortunately, the writing was too dense and dry for me to really be able to sink into. I loved the premise of the story, but this was a miss for me, sadly.

‘The House of Lincoln’, by Nancy Horan, is an excellent historical fiction novel based in Springfield, Illinois, hometown to President Lincoln. This is the retelling of the life and death of Abraham Lincoln against the backdrop of a volatile and changing nation. Told through the perspective of various characters, Horan details the courage of the conductors of the underground railroad, the heartbreak of the Civil War, and the savageness of the race riots. Not to be missed.

It took me awhile to get through THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN. There was so much to absorb about all of the characters and their stories. Once I reached the half-way point, I finished the second half in a couple of days. Nancy Horan is a master story-teller. Our book club read, Horan’s LOVING FRANK a few years ago. We had a great discussion! After reading THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN, I know that I am going to recommend it when we choose our books for the year in May.

I loved Ana Ferreira, a young immigrant from the island of Madeira, Portugal. Their family left Madeira for religious reasons, stopped in Trinidad but the work in the fields in the sun was exhausting. They then immigrated to Springfield, Illinois in 1851, where there was a significant group who spoke Portuguese. I had never heard this before, and as someone who is bilingual, I enjoyed reading familiar phrases.

As a young teenager, Ana forms a friendship with a black girl Cal. Ana becomes a helper in the Lincoln household and Horan does a wonderful job portraying Mary throughout the entire book. I have a new view of Mary’s life. I also loved the storyline of Mr. Donnegan who helps slaves trying to get to Canada.

After finishing an ARC of this book, I decided to get the Audible version as I felt I might have missed something. I am so glad I did, as I felt like I was at story time and picked up some things I did not get the first time. Horan covers the period in Springfield from 1851 - the race riots in 1909. My thanks to
Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. To the reader, you might want to consider the Audible version. I sure enjoyed it for my second reading!

This was a very interesting book. I

Description: "The House of Lincoln tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. President to Great Emancipator and presents Lincoln’s Midwestern home as a complex third home front of the Civil War."

There was a lot of history packed into this story. I appreciate the story and a lot of it was thought provoking.

I would recommend this story. It was a little difficult to follow all of the characters though. It sometimes feels like it skipped around, although that is hard to do in a story that spans so many years

There were a lot of characters, and while all the stories of the different people were interesting, it was a little hard to follow. The description listed above lead me to believe that the story was more about Lincoln, but it was really about others in the town more than Lincoln and his family, although Lincoln did play a role in the story. I really enjoyed the parts of the story where Ana was housekeeper for the Lincolns. The story after Lincoln's death was a little scattered. I'm a little confused by the ending - for a slightly longer story, it seemed to end abruptly

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm glad I read it.

What a well done book and so very perfect for this moment in history. While it’s historical fiction, it has been well researched and Horan weaves a beautiful story of fact and fiction. It ends just a few years after Lincoln is killed and the civil war has ended, but she helps us to understand that the issues of the war have never gone away.

I recommend this book to everyone.

The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan is a fascinating historical novel that explores the life of Abraham Lincoln and his family through the eyes of Ana Ferreira, a Portuguese immigrant who works as a domestic servant for the Lincolns.
The House of Lincoln is a sweeping novel that explores a complex and tumultuous period in American history. It is also a deeply personal story about the lives of the people who were caught up in the events of the time.

Horan does an excellent job of bringing both the Lincolns and Ana Ferreira to life. Her characters are complex and well-developed, and their relationships with each other are believable and heartwarming.

The novel also provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, who is often overlooked in historical accounts of her husband's presidency. Horan shows Mary to be a complex and intelligent woman who faced many challenges in her life.

The House of Lincoln is a must-read for anyone interested in Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, or the American experience. It is a well-written and informative novel that offers a unique perspective on one of the most important periods in American history.

Overall, I highly recommend The House of Lincoln. It is an excellent work of historical fiction that is both entertaining and informative.

Abraham Lincoln was certainly an amazing man as is evident in Horan's insightful historical fiction account of his life.
The parts concerning the historical aspects of the Civil War and the struggle for racial equality were fascinating. The fictional account of the relationship between 2 close friends, Cal and Ana, seemed a bit too contrived.
Good read-

The House of Lincoln takes readers on a literary trip through the huge changes in America, from Abraham Lincoln being a traveling lawyer living in Springfield, becoming a politician, a member of the Republican Party, his debates with Stephen Douglas, being elected as 16th president, the confederate states succeeding, the Civil War, his tragic death and Ana experiencing the racial riots in 1908. A different take on the life of Abraham Lincoln. This story is told from the point of view of a young Portuguese refugee, Ana, who went to work for the Lincoln's as a Saturday girl. She not only looked after the children, but did some housework. As she aged she become more indispensable to Mary Todd Lincoln. The book moves through the well known life of Lincoln, almost as an after thought. It concentrates more on his private life and how that affected Ana, his home town of Springfield and his family life in the White House. Once assassinated the story moves more to Mary, but still remains on Ana and her adult life. Taking place in the 1840's to the 1890's the story depicts the Underground Railroad, the Springfield race riots, and the Civil War. With Illinois being my home state, I have studied a lot about Abraham Lincoln and believe that this historical fiction book was well researched. The slant of bringing in a house girl to tell the story was ingenious and made the reading from her point of view interesting. The House of Lincoln is a intricate, compelling, informative tale by Horan that does a wonderful job of highlighting her impressive research and knowledge of this complex, influential figure who strove during his short time in office to abolish slavery and give African Americans the civil and social freedoms they rightly deserved.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, the author and netgalley.

The House of Lincoln tries to link the story of The Lincolns with a lesser known story and the author only partly succeeds. The plot is a little confusing.