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.

Was excited to dive into a well researched historical novel and House of Lincoln seemed like a perfect fit. Nancy Horan does a ton of research and it shows here. However, this one fell flat for me and I did put it aside after 200 pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of The House of Lincoln in exchange for a fair review. This review appears on Goodreads.
I am always looking for Historical Fiction about topics beyond WWII - as it seems there are so many of those right now. Here is one that is beyond what we know about Lincoln and the Civil War, and includes an immigrant family, and a free black family living in Springfield Illinois during the time of Lincolns rise to the office of the President of the United States. Its also an exploration of Mary Lincoln struggling with her own grief over losing her children and her split family - half being abolitionists and half on the side of the confederacy.
This was a terrible time in our nations history and sniffed of current affairs. We are still grappling with the way our country was ripped apart and gingerly stitched back together during the Civil War. There's a warning of what happens when one group's ideas are thrust upon another's - something that a war wouldn't solve.
I liked the characterization, setting and the way the plot moved. I learned a lot about the Lincoln Family and the climate of the nation in the pre-war days. Honestly what I didn't care for was the description of the race riots in Springfield in the 1900s. I understand it is important to Springfield's history, but for the purposes of this book, I felt like the book came to an easy and logical conclusion only to launch the reader into some shocking information that took place 50 years later. I was 100% going to do this in book club but now not so sure. I think book club would enjoy discussing the origins of the civil war and the Lincoln family, and maybe even immigrants during that time, but the race riots is far too much to chew on - the ending actually kept me up last night which is not usually how books end for me.
4* for the book itself. I enjoyed it until the race riots. I do not like how the book left me feeling though.

Nancy Horan's insightful work of historical fiction takes us inside the Lincoln household in Springfield, Illinois through the eyes of a young Portuguese girl employed by the Lincolns. We experience the joys and heartbreaks of the young Lincoln family, the rise of Lincoln to the Presidency, and the turn of events after his assassination just after the Civil War has ended. The underlying element of racism permeates throughout and recalls the terrible race riot of 1908 in Springfield.

I’ll be honest - “The House of Lincoln” by Nancy Horan wasn’t the book I was expecting it to be. Based upon the Publisher’s summary, I expected this to be about Ana and her relationship with the Lincolns. While that was there, that wasn’t the main thrust of the book. I did like the inclusion of the other characters and their situations - and how their stories related to both what was going on in Springfield and, in some ways, affecting Ana. The research Ms. Horan did is very evident and those parts I also enjoyed. But as this wasn’t the book I was expecting to read, I’m a bit disappointed. For me this book is probably a 3.5 star read, but I rounded down due to a few factors. If you like historical fiction and are interested in the town of Springfield’s history, this might be a book you’d enjoy.

Nancy Horan does it again.

This book gives a look at Mary and Abraham Lincoln's lives prior to his being the 16th president. It is a beautifully written novel filled with historical information as well as some added fictional characters.
One of the main characters is Ana Ferreira a Portuguese immigrant, This novel gives some broader views from the eyes of a man heading to the presidency.
I always enjoy the historical information in Nancy Horan's books and how she is able to include long forgotten, lost or hidden history.
This author does her research and brings it to use in a way that is always an pleasure to read.
This book will appeal to historical fiction readers as well Lincoln buffs and those interested in some of America's darker histories.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this advanced copy e-book in exchange for my review consideration. My opinions are my own

I liked this! I am a history nerd so this was up my alley. Lincoln is so fascinating and this took a take I’ve never seen before. Some parts did drag on a bit too long for my liking, but I will definitely pick up other works by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
The House of Lincoln is interesting and detailed historical fiction that provides insight into a turbulent time in American history that coincided with Abraham Lincoln's presidency. The story takes place primarily in Springfield, Illinois from 1851 - 1909 and covers Lincoln's political career and rise to the presidency of the United States, the political divide over slavery, the underground railroad, the Civil War, Lincoln's assassination and its aftermath through to the Springfield race riot of 1908.

I loved the author's choice of narrators which provided an interesting perspective on Lincoln's life. The story is told primarily from the point-of-view of Ana, a Portuguese immigrant who is a young girl at the start of the story and works in the Lincoln household at one point. Some chapters are from the perspective of Spencer Donnegan, a free Black man, and his brother, William, who operate businesses in Springfield and are part of the underground railroad network helping runaway slaves. There are a few chapters from Mary Todd Lincoln's perspective as well - less interesting than the others but provides a sympathetic portrayal of the former First Lady.

I expected the book to be focused entirely on the life of Lincoln but it was actually quite interesting in that it was as much about racial prejudice in the United States as it was about Lincoln. From Spencer and William (and also Ana's friend Cal), we learn about the prejudice that free Blacks living in Springfield experienced, the dangers faced by runaway slaves and those that helped them, and their disagreement with some of Lincoln's policies such as his pre-war support for colonization (sending Black Americans to Africa). By continuing the story through to the 1908 riot, the author shows that, despite the abolition of slavery aftrer the Civil War, it was going to be a long road to equality for Black Americans because of entrenched racial prejudice.

I love historical fiction that educates and The House of Lincoln does that effectively including exhaustive research on many aspects of Lincoln's presidency and his political opinions/policies/speeches, the Civil War, and the race riots early in the 20th century. The novel is very strong in this regard and a little weaker on the storytelling side as it sometimes veers into summarizing events that have taken place. Overall - an enjoyable, informative read!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN
BY: NANCY HORAN

After reading and loving both of Nancy Horan's first two historical novels, which were breathtakingly fantastic; the first of which was called, "Loving Frank," a heartbreaking account of Frank Lloyd Wright's love affair, and her second novel, called, "Under the Wide and Starry Sky," about Robert Louis Stevenson--I couldn't wait to read her newest one. I was so excited to see it on my Net Galley shelf, and I devoured it.

Abraham Lincoln is one of my favorite Presidents and I think that Nancy Horan did a fantastic job in writing, "The House of Lincoln." This was a much more intimate account of his earlier years which I loved. From his humble roots as the lawyer whom Mary Todd Lincoln's sister Elizabeth didn't approve of Mary's choice of picking Abraham for a husband. Also, this portrayal of Mary was much more sympathetic as in regards to her spending, and her temperament.

Told through the eyes of a young Ana there are the themes of biodiversity and I was surprised at the extent of the Racial Riots after the Civil War in Springfield, Illinois and elsewhere. Having some of the lesser known to me, parts of Abraham Lincoln's astute excerpts and quotes was an aspect that I enjoyed. Finding out that Robert Lincoln went to the same prep school as I did was amazing. This is another winner for the gifted Nancy Horan. She writes engaging historical novels that triumph, and are an absolute pleasure to inhabit her recreations.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Nancy Horan and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheHouseofLincoln #NancyHoran #SourcebooksLandmark #NetGalley

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Pasted below is my comment from Goodreads.

This exhaustively researched book provides some fascinating insight into the lives of the ordinary and not so ordinary before, during and after the Civil War. I read a lot of Civil War fiction, and what drew me to this one was the fact the main character is a Portuguese immigrant named Ana, not the typical protagonist in novels about this era. I learned quite a bit about the pre-Ellis Island immigrant experience from Ana and her family. Her mother's story was particularly interesting and heart-wrenching for me. I also learned about the Springfield Race Riots, which I'd not know about before reading this book.

That's about it as far as what I enjoyed about the book, unfortunately. I always enjoy seeing an author's interpretation of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, and this book really offered no new or fresh perspective on this well-known couple. This book doesn't eliminate the fact neither Lincoln actually really wanted to free the slaves, which is important as most books I've read glance over this. And while the clearly large volume of research that went into this novel is a huge highlight, it does read like a textbook at times with plain prose and summaries of historical events.

I enjoyed what I learned from this book very much, and it absolutely is worth the time to read, but I did struggle to stay engaged with it and found myself skimming on occasion.

I received a free advance copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Horan is a master at taking complicated flawed characters from history and making them real and keeping the reader engaged in the story while keeping us interested. In the story and the out come . Loved this book about Lincoln and his wife.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the book

The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan is a great historical fiction that gives us a new look into the early lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln.

I love what the author did with this book. By bringing fictional characters into a historical context, she was able to present a new view, a better understanding, and an inside peak into the early days of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln before their trajectory takes them eastbound.

The character of Ana Ferreira gives us the mindset and the experiences of someone that is a minority, and how that reflects not only the attitudes of society as a whole at that time, but also how that angle helps focus on what was happening around Lincoln at that time in Springfield…but also more importantly, what was forming and developing within this mind as he crafts his personal beliefs and ideals on what would help found his campaign and time in office.

The full cast of characters bring a wide range of ideas, concepts, and personal experiences to the book and help give us an idea of some of the “jumping off points” of where Lincoln originated.

The blend of fiction and history brings an intellectual, educational, and entertaining experience all in one book.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/6/23.