it is always interesting to see a famous historical figure from a different point of view. The view of this book shows us a possible history of a young Abraham Lincoln. The awkward Abe from the beginning of his life with Mary and how he went from that to President of the United States.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I did like this book, but I didn't really connect with the characters. I almost felt an emotional disconnect and that there wasn't enough meaningful dialogue.

Mary Todd Lincoln has always been one of the more fascinating women in American history, in my opinion. Most of us know the stories about her strange ways, but it is only recently coming to light the depth of the smear campaign to which she was subjected, even by her only surviving son. That's before we even tackle the sheer amount of unimaginable loss she went through throughout her life. I think the author did a beautiful job of telling a fictional account of what things may have been like for her in the beginning, and they gave some depth and empathy to her story. Highly recommended!

This was one of the first books in which I have read about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln dating. This was a different way to write about Mary , Abe and his friend Joshua. This was well written but I am not sure that the writer needed to read into the friendship of Abe and Joshua quite as much as he did but it might have happened that way. I think I would have liked to know a little more about Mary Todd through this but I enjoyed the story. I received a copy of this book from Algonquin books for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I am so very glad I read this book!! This was a page-turner of a story about two important people in Lincoln's days as a lawyer: Joshua Speed and Mary Todd. Bayard seamlessly weaves their stories back and forth to a powerful ending.

Although historical romance is not my favorite genre, I do enjoy reading about Abraham Lincoln. This portrait of Mary Todd is much kinder than others, and the romance between two socially awkward people is a sweet story.

I feel like I have read quite a few books about the Lincolns. I thought this would be a fresh look and, in some ways, it was. I may know more than I should to really enjoy this.....still, a good read.

As a lover of historical fiction I jumped on the chance to review and spotlight Courting Mr. Lincoln on here and on my Instagram. While this a historical fiction it is based on true life. The underlining plot line is the courtship of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln and since I know they eventually marry there was a little suspense removed. Louis Bayard did a great job of filling in the details that modern day American's would not have known making the story fresh and new. There was a lot of back story and characters that I felt were unnecessary, as the story unfolds thought I saw the importance of the details and each individual to make this read the great love story that it When I think of Lincoln I think of the president, the emancipation, the tall honest Abe but in this portrayal, at least in the beginning of his interest to Mary Todd he comes off as so timid and so unsure of who he is and who he is supposed to be. As the story progresses though I find my confidence as Lincoln finds his. He transforms from a backwoods, country lawyer rough around the edges in to the famous politician we know.

In a 2017 C-SPAN poll, President Lincoln was found to be the best President by 91 historians and authors. But how was his personal life? In Courting Mr. Lincoln, his future wife, Mary Todd, and his best friend, Joshua Speed, tell his story during the last twenty-five years of his life.

Poor country lawyer Abraham Lincoln is taken under the wing of handsome Joshua Speed when he first arrives in the equally roughhewn state capital of Illinois, Springfield. Mary Todd is first dazzled by the glamorous Mr. Speed. But her interest in politics soon aligns her closer to Mr. Lincoln. For Lincoln is a mesmerizing speaker who recently won a county office.

Before reading this meticulously researched book, I had pigeon-holed Mary Todd Lincoln as President Lincoln’s “crazy” wife. But she is so much more. Despite living at a time before women were not even allowed to vote, she was fascinated with politics. From sitting on her father’s lap as a child, Mary could talk about politics as well as any man. It must have been frustrating for this intelligent lady to not be included in the male-only political world. She was a dynamic woman pigeonholed by her time.

It is difficult not to compare the formal culture of the mid-1800s with today’s anything goes lifestyle. While the restrictions on women were much worse, the debates and discussions on real issues are a refreshing change from the party-aligned divisions so common in politics today.

But at its heart, Courting Mr. Lincoln is a love story. Both between Lincoln and Mary, and, Lincoln and Joshua Speed. Lincoln and Speed were complete opposites in looks and demeanor. However, they came together and shared their talents and abilities with each other freely.

Whether you come for the politics, the romance between Mary and Lincoln, or the very real bromance of Lincoln and Joshua, you will not be disappointed. 4 stars!

Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The year is 1840 and the location is Springfield, Illinois. Mary Todd is the belle of the town, a debutante who is considered the most prestigious catch in the city. Abraham Lincoln is a poor man who rides the circuit as a lawyer, away for weeks at a time and deficient in social skills. His best friend is Joshua Speed, the owner of the local mercantile store and his roommate. Joshua is everything Lincoln is not; handsome, witty and skilled in all the social graces. Yet the two men form a friendship that makes the hostesses of the town never invite one without the other, the two complementing each other so well that they almost seem to have an act.

No one would expect Lincoln and Mary to become a pair, least of all Mary. She is initially put off by him as are many by his lack of conventional looks and awkwardness but she discovers that under his exterior lies an interesting man who she just can't seem to forget. Her sister, with whom she is living while she finds a husband, is appalled that Mary might consider Lincoln to be a suitor even though he is a law partner of her own husband. Yet there is something about Lincoln that makes Mary unable to forget him and look at more socially suitable men.

As time goes on, tension springs up between Joshua and Abraham as Abraham becomes more involved with Mary. There is almost a jealousy that Joshua has for anyone else in Lincoln's life. Although it is never spoken, it becomes clear that the friendship may mean more to Joshua than it considered acceptable. What will become of this trio of individuals?

Louis Bayard has written a tale of the early years of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd that will keep the reader compulsively turning the pages. We know of Mary Todd Lincoln only in her latter years, when she is half mad with grief for her children. Almost no one knows anything about Joshua Speed and his pivotal role in Lincoln's evolution from a backwoods lawyer to a man who can lead a nation in its most perilous times. The writing is delicious and this reader finished the book only to vow to read all of Bayard's titles that I haven't yet read. He has always been one of my favorite authors and this book is proof of why. This book is recommended for readers of historical and literary fiction.

Today’s post falls on President’s Day in the U.S., so it seems appropriate to examine a fictional treatise on one of our beloved presidents. In this case, Courting Mr. Lincoln by acclaimed author Louis Bayard will be our point of focus. This finely-crafted novel revolves around the titular Abraham Lincoln, his future wife Mary Todd and his dear friend Joshua Speed. As Mr. Bayard notes in his post-novel essay Inside an Enigma, thousands of titles have been produced about President Lincoln, so one may wonder what new perspective might be brought to the table in this narrative. Courting Mr. Lincoln is unique in that Abraham, Mary and Joshua form a triangle that has previously been unknown to many. In fact, had I known that this book dealt specifically with this particular theory, I doubt I would have accepted the invitation to review it.

A number of years ago I heard rumblings of a speculation regarding the true nature of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and his bachelor-days roommate, Joshua Speed. While it was common for male roommates to share a single mattress in the 19th century due to financial constraints, this did not always indicate same-sex attraction between them. However, some Lincolnian scholars have offered the notion that Abraham and Joshua held more than just a platonic relationship, especially after examining the letters shared between them. At the same time, these men lived in a society that overwhelmingly did not accept same-sex relationships. It was expected for men to settle down, marry and have a family by their late 20’s, if not sooner. As Lincoln began to run in political circles, he might have felt even more pressure to marry, as candidates are often seen as more reliable if they have a wife. These issues are considered throughout Courting Mr. Lincoln.

Using alternating the viewpoints of Joshua and Mary, Louis Bayard examines the years in which Lincoln meets and develops his relationships with both of them. Bayard’s writing is masterful. People magazine has termed it “exquisite”, and this is not an exaggeration. Not only is his prose well-researched for the period, but his word choices are extraordinary. On several occasions I found myself highlighting text to look up in the dictionary, delighting in the discovery of new corners of the English language. Aside from the interesting storytelling, Courting Mr. Lincoln was an educational and delightful read from a linguistic point of view.

I previously mentioned that I may have objected to reviewing this novel had I known its central theme, which isn’t overly apparent within the book’s description. I am a conservative Christian, and am generally not a supporter of LGBTQ causes. So when I eventually detected the relationships that Mr. Bayard was offering in his novel, I became concerned about how the story would play out. Would it become too racy for my sensibilities? Would there be scenes I would regret seeing in my mind’s eye? Fortunately, I can report that Bayard has handled the material with obvious intent, but in a fairly discreet manner. His point was made in a powerful way, one that I think is reasonable if you look at the content of the actual Lincoln/Speed letters. At the same time, I breathed a sigh of relief when I finished the last pages of the Epilogue, grateful that the possible same-sex attraction between Abraham and Joshua was handled in the way it was.

As mentioned, there have been myriad perspectives on the man who is considered by many to be the greatest American president. Louis Bayard has presented to his readers a tale that was offered in compelling fashion and with expert writing skill. Abraham Lincoln was a complicated, enigmatic figure, and this holds true in Courting Mr. Lincoln¸ a unique fictional examination of a man who may never be truly known.

I grew up with a dislike for history that took a turn only after I got out of school. As an adult, able to find my own fascinations with certain periods of history like the Holocaust or Civil War or the Civil Rights movement (among others), through it all I have had a fascination with Abraham Lincoln that led me to this incredibly-crafted and well-researched novel; my first Louis Bayard, but certainly not my last. I had a cursory knowledge of Mary Todd Lincoln before reading amazing book, which amounts to a story about Lincoln and the two people who loved him most: his wife Mary, and his dearest friend Joshua Speed. The novel opens with Mary, newly-arrived in Springfield and less than thrilled with the newly-minted capital city of Illinois. Thrown immediately into the dating pool, Mary's extremely open (for the time) personality and knowledge of politics make her immediately popular, earning her the nickname "The Belle of Springfield" and guaranteeing her entrance to any social event in the area. During her introduction to the city, Mary soon meets Joshua Speed, a man of noble bearing who owns his own dry goods store, and the two strike up a friendship that at first has Mary wondering where (or if) things may go further ... until she meets Speed's best friend, Abraham Lincoln, the small-town lawyer who has already gained immense popularity in political circles.

Lincoln is shy, almost withdrawn, with Mary - and as time and circumstances put them together at various social events, she finds herself intrigued by him more and more. Courting Mr. Lincoln would have stood up well as the story of Abraham and Mary, how they met and came to fall in love/marry, but Bayard also gives us just as strong a bromance in the relationship between Lincoln and Speed, in many ways just as forged in steel. Some historical records suggest there may have been more than just friendship between the two men - that, in fact, Lincoln himself may have been bisexual - but while Bayard touches on a few leanings of such possibilities here, he wisely leaves it up to the reader to discern just how close these incredibly close friends may have been. The novel goes back and forth between Mary and Speed's points of view, never Lincoln's, but Bayard's skills as a writer not only easily transport you back to the mid-19th century, to the tiniest detail, but through the eyes of both wife and dear friend readers are treated to a portrait of a personable, endearing, flawed, and wholly-human sixteenth president of the United States before he got there, in a way that reads infinitely more real than much nonfiction. A beautiful, touching novel that easily makes my list of Best Books I've read for the year, already; had I read something like this back in high school, I would never have wasted all those years disliking history! 5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

What impressed me about this book is how sweet the story is while being an incredible page turner about relationships and how they last, are stretched, made stronger, and how many of those things are the same throughout the years. Even between now and then, these relationships will look and feel like ones you have had. Bayard’s writing gives voice and empathy to these characters who are real and who become real again within these pages.

One of my favorite things about this books was how Bayard humanized Mary Todd Lincoln from the mournful, seemingly superstitious, woman who attended seances and rubbed elbows with spiritualists. While there’s no denying that she engaged in this behavior and spirituality, modern Americans looking back at her must realize that she was firmly rooted in her time and place. That being said I thought that Bayard did a wonderful job bringing to life a vivacious woman that will seem all too familiar to modern readers.

Moreover, the novel also features the perspective of Joshua Speed, Lincoln’s confidant and rumored lover. I appreciated that while there is clearly speculation about the nature of their relationship is never seems to veer too far outside of what we know about their relationship, which could have been something more or could have fallen in line with male/male affection and love at the time.

While there is not a lot action or plot taking place throughout the book, watching the relationships take place is entirely enthralling and I found myself speeding through the book. Fans of historical fiction will be happy to spend some time with the three of these characters and perhaps even ponder a different perspective of these historical figures.

#bookreview time! Thank you to @algonquinbooks for including me in your blog tour for Louis Bayard’s Courting Mr. Lincoln.
The paperback (pictured here) was just published yesterday, Feb. 11th and I am posting my review today, Feb. 12th, which is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday!
🎩🎩🎩
Louis Bayard spins just an absolutely lovely and compelling tale in Courting Mr. Lincoln. Alternating view points from Joshua Speed and Mary Todd, this tells the story of the love Lincoln had for his best friend Joshua Speed, and for his wife Mary Todd. The tale starts before Lincoln has even met Speed or Mary and finishes with Speed’s eventual marriage and Lincoln’s eventual marriage. With a lovely Epilogue told again from both Speed and Mary.
Louis Bayard wanted to tackle the oft written about notion that Lincoln and Speed’s relationship was perhaps more than just two friends. Perhaps there was a deeper love there. And, frankly, I love that theory. Was there more there? Of course we’ll never truly know, but yes most likely. A lot of men married because “that’s what men of a certain age do.” Marry because that’s what’s expected of them. Or, marry because for Lincoln it would help his political future.
I thought Bayard’s writing was superb. I thought his prose was elegant. He really made you feel like you were in the mid-1800’s. Even some of the classic terms from that time period were foreign to me and I had to do a little googling!
I thought he really captured the spirit of Lincoln, Speed, and Mary Todd. Everything I know about Lincoln really made me feel Bayard did an excellent job of capturing likely what Lincoln’s attitude and eccentricities really were like. And what his relationships were really like. I really loved the last little bit, and I won’t give it away, but when Mary Todd learns of something Lincoln has gotten himself into and journeys to stop him.
This was a great, heartwarming five-star read for me! And I’d love to read more from Louis Bayard!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Algonquin for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Courting Mr. Lincoln
By: Louis Bayard


*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
As presidents go, I'm betting you've heard of Abraham Lincoln. He remains one of, if not the, most popular presidents of all time. How much do you know about his earlier life when he met his future wife? Mary Todd Lincoln is often portrayed as a tragic grieving woman, but what was she like before she became the First Lady? Courting Mr. Lincoln takes a look at the courtship of Mary and Abraham Lincoln, as told by Mary and Speed, Lincoln's roommate and friend. In the story, Mary is spirited, sassy and easy to like. She is nothing like the sad woman she, apparently, becomes later. We see Lincoln through Mary as they develop a relationship, and it's a sweet easy portrayal. On the other hand, Lincoln is seen through Speed, his roommate. Speed seems to be jealous of Mary and the growing fondness between her and Lincoln. The question is why? As pure speculation, the question of whether Lincoln and Speed were more than friends just hovers in the background. Although fictional, I felt like I was reading nonfiction. I love the premise of the story. Abraham Lincoln is a serious stoic figure as president, and I had never really considered him as a young man, and it's compelling to see quite differently. The author does a remarkable job of portraying the time and place, and the characters are genuine, realistic and likeable. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction enthusiasts of Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln or the time period. An absolutely terrific read!

Set in Springfield, Illinois in the 1840s, this book fictionalizes the romance between Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, his future wife, and the friendship between him and Joshua Speed, a merchant and Lincoln’s landlord and bedmate. Speed finds his purpose in life in educating Lincoln on how to be a gentleman; he teaches him etiquette and how to dress properly. Tensions arise between the two when Lincoln meets Mary and begins courting her. The courtship has a number of problems, some of which are instigated by Speed because he sees Mary as a rival for Lincoln’s affections.

The narrative alternates between Mary and Speed’s points of view. This technique fills in gaps. For instance, Mary is sometimes confused about Lincoln’s behaviour; Speed’s perspective then explains what Mary doesn’t know. I found Speed’s sections more compelling. His interactions with Lincoln are natural and relaxed whereas Mary and Lincoln’s relationship lacks that ease, though much of the awkwardness can be attributed to the constraints of acceptable behaviour between the sexes.

What emerges is a complex portrait of Lincoln as seen by two people who love him. Speed describes him as someone “with not a scrap of affectation or unnaturalness in him. He is purely what he is and thinks more deeply, more searchingly than anybody I know.” When Mary first meets Lincoln, she sees “An El Greco frame, stretched beyond sufferance. A mournful well of eye. A face of bones, all badgering to break through.” He is not her romantic ideal, but she becomes interested and then fascinated, though Lincoln is insecure because of his background and feels unworthy of Mary. In his interactions with both people, Lincoln shows himself to be intelligent, determined, and compassionate. In the end, it is a supporter’s description that perhaps best describes the future president: “a great man – large of mind and large of soul.”

Speed and Mary also emerge as fully developed characters. Speed is witty and charming, the life of parties. He recognizes the potential in the awkward, unpolished man he first meets, though he does not always understand himself very well. He takes actions, like informing on Mary to her sister, without fully understanding his motivation. Mary is intelligent and opinionated, especially about politics which are her passion. Because of her spirited nature, she struggles with the restrictions placed on her because of her gender.

I loved the elegant prose. In many ways, it reminded me of that of Jane Austen. The dialogue is also similar; much is left unsaid. There is much humour in the conversational exchanges, especially between Speed and Lincoln. The dance and etiquette lessons are hilarious.

I really enjoyed the book. My only regret is that my knowledge of the American political system is lacking. Not being American, I don’t know much about the Whig party and the various politicians mentioned in the novel; as a result, many of the political discussions meant little to me. Based on what I do know about Lincoln, the novel’s portrayal seems historically accurate. I am inspired to read more about Mary Todd to compare this fictional representation with her historical record.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher prior to the book’s paperback release on Feb. 11.

Courting Mr. Lincoln begins in 1839, long before Lincoln becomes President and before he has meet Mary Todd, the woman who will become his wife. The story is told from two perspectives: Mary Todd and Joshua Speed. It has long been rumored that Speed was Lincoln’s lover, despite little evidence. Courting Mr. Lincoln takes an interesting look at the two men’s friendship as well as the early days of Lincoln and Mary’s relationship.

Lincoln, as a young lawyer came to Springfield with very little and takes up residence above Speed’s dry goods store, where they not only share a room but also a bed. Speed takes Lincoln under his wing, grooming him to be the refined man of taste that he became. The two become the best of friends, often toasting to “bachelorhood and brotherhood.” They were inseparable and would even finish each others sentences when they retold stories like an old married couple. It is evident that Speed became envious of Lincoln’s relationship with Mary, one that becomes a bit rocky at times because of Speed.

Mary has come to Springfield to find a husband, but her passion for politics often deters men from pursuing her. This is not the case for Lincoln. Mary intrigues not only Lincoln but Speed as well. The three are often seen together. Speed however is put off by the budding relationship but is reminded that an aspiring politician will need a wife. Thus begins a very unique love triangle. Bayard is careful to only insinuate that Speed and Lincoln’s relationship was anything more than a deep friendship. But regardless, it was heavily implied that they were lovers.

Courting Mr. Lincoln was an unexpected look on Lincoln’s early life as a young lawyer in Springfield learning about politics through the perspectives of two of the people who loved him the most.


Full review on my blog www.lovehannahmarie.com

Courting Mr. Lincoln is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Abraham Lincoln – but with a twist. This novel takes a deeper look at the people so pivotal in Lincoln's life; Mary Todd and Joshua Speed.

Mary Todd is the woman that Abraham Lincoln would one day marry. That's a story many history fans are well aware of. But what of her life leading up to their introduction? Or their time of the courtship itself? These are frequently overlooked parts of the story.

Then there's Joshua Speed, the famous best friend of Lincoln. His story is yet another that has been slimmed down to a one-dimensional focus. That is what makes his half of this novel so breathtaking.

“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”

Courting Mr. Lincoln was simultaneously everything I had hoped for, and so much more. Not being a major history buff, I was nonetheless highly curious to see this unique take on such important and famous historical figures.

Thanks to school, we all know the basics of this story – or more accurately, the story to come. Yet there was something so beautifully human about seeing the story from an earlier point in time. For the first time ever it felt like the people in Lincoln's life were given a chance to shine, and thus a chance to appear three dimensional. And so utterly human.

The book itself is a split perspective storytelling style. The chapters rotate back and forth between Mary Todd's perspective, and that of Joshua Speed. It was fascinating trying to get into their heads, thanks to the insight of Louis Bayard.

I can tell you with complete honesty that I don't typically read novels of this specific type – but there was something about the description that really attracted me to Courting Mr. Lincoln. I'm so grateful that I took the risk and read it because it really did blow me away.

I'm saying that specifically because it always bothers me when the details surrounding a historical figure tend to get flattened over time. For example, Mary Todd is portrayed as a grieving mother and wife – and nothing more. So getting a chance to see a different side of her, an earlier telling before all the pain that bombarded her life – was refreshing and very much needed.

For that reason alone, I will forever be grateful for what Bayard attempted to do here. I appreciated his perspective and his insight. Though naturally, not being the best in history, I can't speak much to the embellishments included, other than to say that they made these people easy to understand and connect with, which I imagine was the goal all along.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a wonderful read for me. I liked how distinct the voices of the two narrators - Mary and Joshua - were. With each chapter, I almost didn't need to read who was speaking to even know who was in the chapter. It was interesting to see the two sides of the love Lincoln had for his friend and his future wife. I liked that while it was based on truth and actual letters, it read like a story, which is important.