I have just finished reading this book...excellent! Set before and during the Civil War, it was not only the nation that was torn apart, but families as well. This story about Mary Todd Lincoln and her family was quite interesting. Born in Kentucky, Mary Todd had a large family, so much so I lost count. Upon marrying Abraham Lincoln, the personal consequences that followed were hurtful and at times devastating. Highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

An interesting, engaging and enlightening story about Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister Emily. After a very long courtship, Mary and Abraham Lincoln are married. Mary is a Southerner by birth and when the country is ripped apart by the Civil War, so is her family, especially her sister Emily who is on the Confederate side. How Mary handles the political, societal and emotional dilemmas that come from being torn between her husband and role as first lady, and her family in the south, is the key line to this story. Susan Higginbotham does an outstanding job of bringing historical characters into real life human beings, frailties, strengths and all. A truly wonderful read!

I adore historical reads and was really looking forward to this novel as I don't know as much as I feel I should about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. The synopsis of this book intrigued me and I was delighted to be selected to read it.

The beginning was interesting telling the tale of how Mary and Abraham met, broke apart and ultimately came back together again. However I felt like some of the more interesting bits about their history together was glossed over while other parts were drawn out far too long. By the middle of the book I just wanted Lincoln to die, which is terrible but it's how badly the middle drug for me.

Emily, by contrast, I felt was the more interesting of the two sisters with her tale from the south but even her story drug on a bit too long in my opinion.

Overall it ended up being an interesting tale but I felt that more time could have been spent with the dramatic parts of their stories and less time given to the mundane if that makes sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy of the eARC book in exchange for my honest review.

I was disappointed in this book.

As a disclaimer, I have two degrees in history. My biggest problem with this book was the lack of depth/interest in the characters. No matter the length of time spent with any individual, I never felt like I was getting to know that person. Everything felt very surface-level. Truthfully, it felt like I was reading a history textbook with one of those inserted stories the midst of facts to try to make students/the reader feel like they weren’t just reading pages of dry facts.

Additionally, the characters didn’t seem to care about anything. Obviously, in a story about the American Civil War, there will be death and loss. Upon hearing of the death of a beloved younger brother, one character reads the telegram, sighs, and thinks, “I wonder if I should write to our mother.” What?!?! This happened repeatedly throughout the book. The only time grief is portrayed well is with the death of Willie Lincoln and how Mary deals with the death. I felt this was explained more because it’s been widely written about in various sources and because it directly contributes to actions later in the book.

Bottom line: In a book linking an extensive family across battle lines in a 5 year war there was very little connection between that family. I was greatly disappointed.

Stars: 3
Would I Recommend? Maybe

Sisterhood can be a powerful thing, but sometimes it provides a dividing line.  Susan Higginbotham’s The First Lady and the Rebel is a fine exploration of familial and romantic love and how its bonds can be strained by the forces of a cruel outside world.

Mary Todd and her baby half-sister, Emily, are close even though there’s a large age gap between them.  Emotionally anxious Mary is eventually drawn to the tall young lawyer Abraham Lincoln; she marries him and they begin to raise a family while Abe pursues politics.

When Emily turns eighteen she comes to stay with Mary, Abe and their boisterous sons but finds that society life there doesn’t provide her with the suitor she seeks.  Back home, and at the first ball of the season, she’s introduced to a rising lawmaker named Benjamin Hardin Helm (whom she calls Hardin), who proves to be just right for her.  She marries him and has two daughters by the time Honest Abe becomes president.  But Abe denies Hardin a cabinet position and denies other positions to Mary’s dissolute half-brother, an act that devastates Emily; and when the succession of the south occurs, Hardin volunteers for Jefferson Davis’ government while Mary stays loyal to her own husband.  When war brews, the sisters find themselves on opposing ends of the battle.  As mothers and wives, they try to raise their families against enormous odds – but will their sisterly relationship be the war’s ultimate casualty?

Well-told and engaging, The First Lady and the Rebel does a good job of covering the scope of the war, the small moments of parental bonding and the ups and downs of the sister’s marital lives.  Most important of all is the detailed and sometimes strained sisterly bond that keeps the Todd sisters in contact.

Every character is well-rounded and flawed. Higginbotham does a particularly good job humanizing the often cartoonishly portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln, who’s redeemed from both clingy spendthrift-ness and operatic madness with sagacity, sadness, intelligence and wit. She feels fully fleshed out, a kindness most Lincoln-centric novels tend not to afford her.  Emily has a certain toughness under her velveteen surface though; it shows up in her kids.  While Mary has and loses rambunctious sons, Emily has and keeps rambunctious daughters.  They each love their law-loving husbands, though one is much more stubborn and bitter than the other.  They each cast their lots in with the men they love, though Mary is extremely politically astute and has many opinions on the day’s events.  Mary sees Emily as a ‘good little wife’, while Emily sees Mary as a towering giant too unfathomably large to grapple with.

I didn’t have much familiarity with Emily’s place in American history so I must say that the author did a fine job yanking her out of the shadows of Mary’s life and making Emily her own woman; somewhat more the victim of her husband’s actions, but not willing to give up the ghost.  She is rash and emotional in different ways from Mary, and that mutual rashness causes them both lots of trouble.

Among the supporting characters, I found the children particularly entertaining.  The book tries to reckon with many different issues – with feminism and female independence, and with the evils of slavery, which is never properly dealt with (the author tries to give Emily a maid named Maggie, but, seen as she is through Emily’s eyes, she never feels like more than a catalyst for thought or lack thereof in Emily’s life).  Those chapters could’ve used a tad more juice, a little more emotion on the part of Maggie.

Another problem the book has – its prose style is very, very dry.  Sometimes that works, but sometimes it feels like one is stuck reading a very long history lesson.

The First Lady and the Rebel would have received an A-grade had it received a little bit of judicious trimming; the reader ends up feeling those long middle stretches between major events.  But as-is, it’s an enjoyable and solid piece of historical fiction.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Visit our Amazon Storefront

The First Lady and the Rebel. You hear stories all the time about how during the civil War brothers fought one on the Confederate and one on the union side. This one is about sisters the Todd Sisters. One sister married to President Lincoln The story was very good though sad at times. If you like historical fiction you will like the story.

This is a historical novel about the life of the Todd's and Abraham Lincoln. It is mainly about Mary and Emily from the Todd family. Mary Todd was married to Abraham Lincoln. Together they had four sons. Three dying, one in infancy.
This book takes you through the marriage of Mr. Lincoln and his running for office. It also takes you through the war between the North and the South. We can look at the separation of families during the war. Emily even though close to the Lincoln was with the South. During this time the sister's were estranged but President Lincoln made sure Emily was able to travel and had what she needed after the death of her husband.
This book is filled with actual facts. It is written in a way that is interesting and entertaining.

The First Lady and the Rebel was the first book I have read by Susan Higginbotham, but it certainly will not be the last. I found this to be a fascinating look into the life of Mary Todd Lincoln and her half-sister, Emily Todd Helm, who found themselves on opposing sides of the war that tore our nation apart.
The story goes back and forth between the lives of these two very outspoken, determined ladies, painting a vivid picture of the joys and extreme sorrows they faced and how they handled the tremendous losses they were dealt. The depth of historical research done by the author is evident in how she wove together known facts about their lives and the time period with fictional additions to fill in the gaps.
Although Emily seemed more likeable in this book in terms of personality, Mary did come across a bit more favorably than she has in what I have heard about her in the past. The story seemed a bit rushed at times, but overall, I greatly enjoyed it and look forward to learning more about the Lincolns and their extended family. The author’s notes at the end of the book were very insightful and gave me helpful ideas for doing so.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction or reading about strong females in history. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I knew very little about Mary Todd Lincoln, so I was delighted to be able to read this book. Susan Higginbotham did an excellent job combining a vast period of history into the lives of Mary and her sister, Emily. I loved seeing the love story between Mary and Abe Lincoln, and hearing of their lives while they served their country.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC ebook to review!

Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 2
Plot development: 3
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The First Lady and the Rebel is the story about two sisters: Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Todd Helm. The book does an excellent job alternating between the sisters telling the story of their lives from 1842 to 1876.

The thing with this type of story is you know what is going to happen in the end. The fascinating part was in the details about their lives and how their stories unfold from chapter to chapter. This book kept me interested throughout and I did not want it to end. I finished the book feeling a little more sympathy for Mary Todd Lincoln and that history might have judged her too harshly.

I do wish this book had photographs of the key players. More than once, I found myself heading to my browser to google for photos of the people in the book.

I recommend this book for historical fiction readers and any reader who is a history buff. 4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The First Lady and the Rebel. Release date: October 1, 2019

Review was posted simultaneously on goodreads and will be published on Instagram @lowkey.bookish closer to the release date.

I enjoyed this novel of Mary Lincoln and her rebel sister Emily Helm. It really brought to life the time, places, and especially the people.

The first couple chapters are set before the Civil War, thus providing a look at the sisters' relationship before the country, and their own loyalties, became divided. These early chapters focus primarily on each woman's courtship and marriage. The sisters' differences in personality are underscored when they choose their husbands. Emily's romance is a classic type love story while Mary favored a meeting of the minds for her marriage.

The way I felt about each woman changed throughout the story. Initially Emily seemed to have the more pleasant personality, but her devotion to Hardin meant loyalty to his cause. I didn't like her revisionist history concerning Lincoln's offer to Hardin, and I abhorred her unfairness toward Maggie. On the other hand, though Mary seemed to have the more difficult personality, at times I felt very sympathetically toward her, for example when she was being pressured to stop grieving for her son.

The author's notes at the end were excellent, so my only complaint is about the end of Mary's story. While Emily's story gave me a feeling of closure, Mary's felt a bit rushed and incomplete.

Overall, this was an excellent piece of historical fiction, and I will seek out more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC.

This book tells in alternating chapters the story of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Lincoln, and her southern supporting sister Emily Todd Helm, I enjoyed the format and quickly became engaged with both women and their lives, The book offers a glimpse of daily life during the Civil War and the descriptions of life are evocative and fascinating.
This is perfect for any fans of historical fiction.

Excellent book! I enjoyed this historical novel tremendously and couldn't put it down. This is a biography of both Mary Todd Lincoln and her sister Emily, the wife of a Confederate general. The author presents these women as wives and mothers who follow their husbands into difficult situations. I appreciated that it would have been tempting for the author to have focused primarily on the issues of the day, but she instead dealt with the everyday realities of coping with a war, fleeing from one city to another (in Emily's case), the constant worry of each woman for the safety of her husband, and the inevitable grief that comes during wartime.

The book was beautifully researched. Even as a history major, I learned a lot of Civil War history that took place in my home state of Tennessee. The accounts of daily life during Nashville, Chattanooga, and other Southern cities during the war were well done. I had not realized that wives of Confederate officers had "refugeed" and moved from place to place so much during the war. In this sense, this novel is a nice contribution to women's history.

Two great stories, beautifully intertwined! Highly recommended!

Told in alternating chapters by Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Lincoln, and her southern-sympathizing sister Emily Todd Helm, this book offers a glimpse of daily life during the Civil War like no other. While I found it a little slow at times, it was fascinating seeing Abraham and Mary Lincoln in a completely different light than they are usually betrayed. I read "Courting Mr. Lincoln" just before this one and I found them a great supplement to each other. Fans of realistic historical fiction are going to love this one!

I thought this was an interesting book more than anything. While the story of Mary Todd Lincoln is well known and has been told in fiction before, this was a new take on the divide between Mary and her sister Emily Todd Helm. The dynamics between sisters being for the Union versus the confederacy was well written. Yhis is definitely a book to pick up if you have any interest in the Civil War, historical fiction, and well written relationships

Who has been the most worthy occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Susan Higginbotham believes it’s Abraham Lincoln. This is a deeply personal accounting of the Civil War told from the point of view of Mary Todd Lincoln and her half sister, Emily Todd Helm. The intimate memories of Mary and Abe’s first encounters and subsequent engagement in contrast to Emily and the love of her life, Hardin Helm, will keep the reader traveling in time and place between the North and South, as the nation marches toward a Civil War. The novel opens with five foot two Mary meeting the “off putting” tall Mr. Lincoln; a cousin letting him know that Mary “will talk politics like a man if you allow her!” This close look into Mary’s personal views on slavery, how she manages grieving for a child while on national display, maintaining her family life in spite of news of the battles -is all quite a feat and so revealing through the author’s excellent research! Mary visits hospitals to honor the wounded and endures the horror of the assassination-quite a journey for the reader. The love of Emily for Hardin Helm and his refusal of a position in the Northern army offered by Lincoln leads to the sisters fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War. A novel of relationships and how families endure and maintain through the hard and brutal years of war. “With a country’s legacy at stake, how will two sisters shape history?”

Mary Lincoln stands by her husband through any and every thing, but the rest of the country eyes her with suspicion due to her relatives taking the side of the Confederacy. Emily Todd Hern has married for love, but her husband’s ties to the South put her opposite her sister. In a fight that tears families apart, can any family ties remain in place?

I thought it fascinating to watch the story alternate between these two sisters. There have been numerous fictional tellings about Mary Lincoln, but her sister was less well-known. The author did an amazing job showing the determination of each woman to go their own way, no matter what.

The pace was steady, although the first jump in time was a bit startling. The author shows Mary Lincoln in a more favorable light when it would have been easy to paint her as a grasping, jealous woman. The truth is woven beautifully with guesses as to what might have happened.

For readers of historical fiction based on true events, this would be an excellent choice.

I received a free copy for reviewing purposes from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have been reading a lot of books from the American Civil War and American Revolution era. I usually choose novels that take place in France or England's history, but I've been on an American history kick lately. This novel was a perfect addition to the novels that have really grabbed my interest lately. I have read a couple of books about President Lincoln or Grant, and they have had Mary Todd Lincoln as a minor character, but have not gone into very much detail about her overall life and characteristics. In fact, the novels I read that have included her have made her look like a crazed, jealous woman, with very little else to add. Therefore, it was great to pick up a book that went into more detail about her life and personality, so I was able to learn more about her, other then her negative characteristics. Another plus to this novel is the fact that it is written by Susan Higginbotham. I have read the majority of her novels, and I have loved them all. She is another great historical fiction author on my list of favorites. She does her research, keeps her books true to history, but also makes it interesting and flow nicely for the reader. When I see her name, I know it is a book that I will enjoy.

I found the book to be somewhat of a story that I had already heard before. It had a few interesting new details that I had never heard before, but all in all the book moved too slow for me and I found myself frustrated at times.