This book by Nancy Horan is a fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln and especially his family and friends. We see Lincoln's interaction with Portuguese immigrants, black citizens in Springfield, Illinois, and Lincoln's wife Mary. This fictional account gives light to the phenomenon that was Abraham from the vantage point of those who knew him as a lawyer and then a politician, and finally as an American president. Horan is a master of bringing famous people to life in an intimate way.

A young immigrant finds a place in the home of the upstart lawyer Abraham Lincoln and gives readers an imagined glimpse into the shaping of the man's views and ambitions. Fans of historical fiction will devour it.

The House of Lincoln is a great story about the everyday people and political environment of Springfield Illinois before, during and after Abraham Lincoln's presidency. Told from the perspective of a Portuguese immigrant, who we first hear from as a child, and later works for the Lincolns, learning about the family and its politics, which really opens her mind to the going ons of the time, which greatly impacted her. The remainder of the story goes into Lincoln's presidency and familial relations while in the White House as well as the continuing story of life in Springfield. A satisfying conclusion comes with an epic historical event which I believe resulted in an equally epic creation/conclusion! A must read for those who love stories about Lincoln and stories about how the United States dealt with slaves/free blacks, the emancipation of slaves and the aftermath of all of it - this is the book for you!

THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN
NANCY HORAN





Seldom do you find an adult author who can assume the persona of a teenager with as much success as in this book. Ms. Horan tells a factually correct and exciting story from the interior of the Lincoln household. Emotions run high as she takes us through the early days of Lincoln's formative years to a period after the war between the states. Travel along with her as you gain a better understanding of the happenings and mind sets prevalent this time.


5 Stars

I have received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Spencer Birt

Nancy Horan’s “The House of Lincoln” is a historical novel that focuses on race relations and the role of women during the period extending from the late 1850s into the early 20th century. Thoroughly researched and very well written, it’s a work I found more educational than entertaining.

Most of the novel takes place in Springfield, Illinois. Ana, a young immigrant from Portugal, secures employment as a childcare worker in the Lincoln home and is befriended by future First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Ana’s best friend, Cal, is a young African American woman whose relatives are involved in the Underground Railroad. Through the eyes of these characters, we view various historical events such as Lincoln’s senate and presidential campaigns, the Dred Scott decision, abolitionist John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, life in the Lincoln White House, the Civil War and its impacts on loved ones, Lincoln’s assassination and funeral, and various other post-Civil War events including the 1908 Springfield race riots.

We also meet and learn the views of various historical figures including Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, her Southern family members sympathetic to the Confederacy, Stephen Douglas, Frederick Douglass, General Winfield Scott, and President Andrew Johnson. I was particularly impressed with Ms. Horan's treatment of Mary Todd Lincoln, truly a tragic figure.

Ms. Horan does a fine job describing the period. Her novel is filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of the various years she seeks to portray. She does an equally fine job explaining many of the issues affecting the lives of African Americans including slavery and escaping from it, the Underground Railroad, Illinois’s “Black Laws” prohibiting out-of-state African Americans from remaining in-state, the views of Free Blacks on returning to Africa, emancipation, and persistent white racism and fears of racial equality. In short, Ms. Horan’s work is a learning experience.

However, readers seeking a tale that’s mostly about Abraham Lincoln may be disappointed--as may those hoping for a “page-turner" filled with tension and suspense. Yes, the President has a principal role, but he’s more “actor-in-an-ensemble” than the “star of the show.” And, for me, the story moved slowly at some points and irregularly at others, moving back and forth amongst character groups and sometimes skipping entire decades.

Overall, however, I found "The House of Lincoln" to be a worthwhile read, one that I respected, even admired, more than I enjoyed.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Nancy Horan, and publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

The House of Lincoln is a historical novel whose main character, Ana, is a young immigrant girl from Portugal who becomes employed by Mary Lincoln to assist in the household. The novel is more complex than the cover synopsis describes. It really delves deeply into Lincoln's political run, the plight of free Blacks trying to find their foothold, runaway slaves utilizing the Underground Railroad, and the 1908 Springfield race riot. Overall, I found it a very interesting and worthwhile read. The dialogue didn't ring authentic to me, and I would have liked to have seen more character development. But I would recommend this book to historical fiction lovers. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan

The House of Lincoln does not offer many new insights into the personal and political life of Abraham Lincoln, but readers are treated to an in-depth, carefully-crafted look at Springfield, Illinois---its citizens, its culture and its changes during and after the life of Lincoln. Especially noteworthy is the culminating tragic story of the 1908 race riots, carried on in a city that more than any other exemplifies Abraham Lincoln.

Horan has included a most vibrant cast of characters including the narrator, Ana, an immigrant from Portugal,
Cal, the African-American girl who is denied Ana's friendship due to race, and the real-life African-American Donnegan family who lived in Springfield and whose family members aided the Underground Railroad through Illinois. The struggles of Ana and Cal are the struggles of the United States at its most dire time in history. Readers will find themselves immersed in both the big picture and the everyday events from newspapers, letters and speeches.

It is noted that one of the major factors leading to the race riots was an accusation by a white woman that an African-American man had come into her home and assaulted her. An innocent man was arrested and later the woman recanted the story. Images of the Emmett Till tragedy nearly a half century later questions how slowly the wheels of justice can turn.

Author Nancy Horan's research has resulted in a very readable account of one city's actions and reactions during times of struggle and change.

Many words have been written about Abraham Lincoln and his family, so it's hard to add anything fresh or trailblazing to the mix. Nancy Horan doesn't try to reinvent the historical fiction wheel with this book as much as have us look at the wheel from different perspectives and she pulls it off well.

Yes, The House of Lincoln is about the Lincoln family, but also not. It's about the times they lived in and how they viewed what was happening, along with the viewpoints of other people living in their world. Slavery is discussed, of course, but we also touch on immigration, women's rights, class disparity, and so much more. We see things from the view of a young Portuguese immigrant escaping religious persecution, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Mary Lincoln's sisters, and a variety of others. Solutions aren't simple, endings aren't always happy. But it is fascinating and you will learn things you didn't know.

I give this a solid four stars and highly recommend.

A history lesson wrapped in an incredible story. Great perspective on the characters that surround historical people and events.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm bucking the glowing reviews here but i this book failed to engage me. I found myself skimming the pages often. Yes, I learned things from the account but there was very little character development or plot. I feel that the summary given of the book gives it way too much credit - very little is included about Lincoln himself.

WoW! What a book! The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan is a remarkable, fascinating and well written novel.
Nancy Horan’s words flow together so seamlessly. Her characters are full-fleshed, well-rounded individuals and her ability to draw attention to detail just made them seem all more real in my mind.
This storyline is engaging it flowed at a nice pace.
And held my attention throughout. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hooked or drawn to a historical fiction novel before like I was hooked to this one.
A stellar read for sure.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I love when an author takes a real person and develops a story around them. But what the author has done here is far more that that, she brings a character to life and tells a story that could very well have happened and how it ties into the events that happened during Lincoln’s life and times.

The story is really well written and the characters come to life as you’re reading. A great chance to learn and enjoy all at the same time. I love history and love historical fiction as well…this is the best of both of these worlds right here in this book!

I loved Nancy Horan's "Loving Frank," and had high hopes for this novel as well, but for me it fell a bit short of expectations. The book centers around three distinct groups of characters who all intertwine from time to time. There's Ana Ferreira, the main focus of the book, and her Portuguese immigrant family plus her childhood friend Cal. There's the Donnegan family, free blacks living and working in Springfield. Lastly, there's Abraham Lincoln and his family. Despite the title of the book, Lincoln is not the primary focus of the book, and the book spans before and well after his time as President.

I found there to be a lack of cohesion between the stories of the three groupings of people, especially in part one, where the Donnegans appear sporadically. There are big gaps of time as the book moves forward over the decades, and it feels like some things are mentioned so briefly (Lincoln's death, for example) and others get a much stronger focus (Springfield's 1908 race riots). For me the story never quite gelled or felt smooth as it was jumping between characters and time.

With that said, I did learn a lot about that time period -- more than I ever remember learning in school about the Civil War, Lincoln's presidency, and other important facts of the time. I found myself searching outside the book for additional information on the people and places mentioned in the book. For that alone, it was a nice focus on a time period which I have read little about.

I think if you love historical fiction and books about early American history this will probably be a draw for you. If you're expecting a heavy emphasis on Lincoln, look elsewhere perhaps, but this gives a good overall impression of the decades before and after the Civil War through the lens of those living in Springfield, Illinois.

Ana and Cal are friends. Both girls work for Mary Lincoln, helping with the boys and activities surrounding Mr. Lincoln’s political ambitions. Cal is African American and shares a lot of her life during the fight for emancipation and the presence of the underground railroad. Ana is Portuguese and shares a lot about her life as she tries to better herself. Springfield, Illinois is an interesting town during the time period before the Civil War and after with the race riots. The reader learns a lot about the personal and political life of Abraham Lincoln, and the mood swings and deaths faced by Mary Lincoln. The post-traumatic stress from the Civil War is done very well. The events taking place during this book are portrayed with a human aspect. Great book with warm characters and important historical moments.

I very much enjoyed Ana's story. I was not aware of the large Portuguese population that immigrated to Springfield, IL so seeing such an iconic period in American history through Ana's eyes from early childhood to her matronly years presented a totally unique point of view. Horan does an exemplary job of highlighting the injustices perpetrated on immigrants, and both free and enslaved Blacks. I was also unaware of Mary Todd Lincoln's influence on Lincoln the political candidate and subsequent President and the depth of her loneliness due to his circuit riding. We often hear of her being a spend-thrift; this portrayal puts at least the rationale for her behavior in the context of her family life before and after marriage complicated by her increasing mental challenges caused by the death of her children and the assassination of her husband. I would highly recommend The House of Lincoln as a very different view of Lincoln's rise to prominence through the lens of events in Springfield (including a particularly vicious race riot), the Dred Scott decision, and generally anti-immigrant feelings. Horan's characters are not stereotypes; they are fleshed out individuals who had very different views of the American dream and how they might make it real for themselves despite the opposition of the prevailing White society.

*Thank you, Netgalley, for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
I guess I’m what you call a “Lincolnphile.” I’ve read many books, fiction and non-fiction, about him and his family. My family and I have been to his library and taken tours of his home in Springfield, and stood at his final resting place. We’ve seen his monument and his Presidential box at Ford’s Theater in D.C.; gazed at his famous top hat with his fingerprints on the brim from doffing it.
The personal details, things usually considered insignificant, are what interest me most about Lincoln and his family in reading about them. So, “The House of Lincoln” was satisfying in that respect; the reader gets into the minds of major characters like Mary Lincoln and her sisters, but also “minor” ones such as Ana, their housemaid in Springfield. The author included wonderful details about the Lincoln’s lives before they were President and First Lady.
If you love historical fiction about the Civil War and the Lincoln family, this book is a must-read!

Memorable Quotes:
“I never owned a slave. Nor did my family. You people came down and invaded our land. I fought on the side of my father.”(Isaac, C.S.A. soldier.)

“She (Ana) knew he came from poor folks, as he had said so. She had heard other soldiers complain among themselves that it was the rich class of planters who wanted the war, and the poor who had to fight it.”

This is historical fiction at its best!
I have always enjoyed learning about Abraham Lincoln and his family and this novel has tidbits of secrets that I never knew.
Ana Ferreira- the nanny for the Lincoln family tells this story and her feelings as time goes on with the matriarch, Mary and her husband.
It is definitely and enlightening novel and if you like historical fiction, and especially Abe Lincoln, you will truly enjoy this book!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC and to allow me to read and provide my own review.


"A man is a man, whether his skin be black or white."

Beautifully written, hugely interesting, full of interesting stories of life in Springfield before, during and after the Civil War. Told through the eyes of Ana Ferreira from the time she arrives in Springfield from Madeira, as a bright young girl of 14, living in a diverse neighborhood of black and white, immigrants and of many religions. Ana’s family were religious immigrants, driven out by the Catholics when they converted. A local widow sees something in Ana, and pays for her schooling. When she completes her schooling she goes to work for Mary Lincoln, helping in the house and taking care of the Lincoln children. This gives her a first hand look into the lives and minds of the Lincoln family, who shape Ana and her views. Ana is with the Lincolns through the major times in history: Lincoln’s election to the Presidency, the Civil War and its aftermath, Lincoln’s assassination, the loss of their son Willie… The House of Lincoln is not the story of Lincoln, but of the world around him, and how he shaped Springfield and it’s citizens, and they him. A fantastic read, one that will resonate and stay with you.

I generally like books about Abraham Lincoln, and I truly loved this book. Nancy Horan showed a perspective from ordinary people who surrounded Lincoln and his family. It was a nice balance between how he influenced others, and how others influenced him.

The House of Lincoln
by Nancy Horan
Pub Date: 06 Jun 2023

Nancy Horan, author of the million-copy New York Times bestseller Loving Frank, returns with a sweeping historical novel, which tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. president to the Great Emancipator through the eyes of a young asylum-seeker who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield from Madeira, Portugal.

Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, fourteen-year-old Ana Ferreira lands a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hostess duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln's views on equality and the Union and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife, Mary.

Along with her African American friend Cal, Ana encounters the presence of the underground railroad in town and experiences personally how slavery is tearing apart her adopted country. Culminating in an eyewitness account of the little-known Springfield race riot of 1908, The House of Lincoln takes readers on a journey through the historic changes that reshaped America and that continue to reverberate today.