Abraham Lincoln stands tall in American history annals. We all know the story of his rise in politics from humble origins to his death at the hand of a bitter Southerner. We know of his widow and his children as well as the ones he freed in the rebel states and the push to end slavery. But what of the ones who knew him long before history? How did the average man see him? And how did history impact them?
This is the story told mainly through the viewpoint of a young Portuguese girl who found Springfield, Illinois a new home after being pushed from her homeland. When the reader is not seeing this small city through her eyes, they are viewing the world through that of a young, freeman descended from runaway slaves. They interact with the Lincoln family and see them as normal people. Yes, they were humble, but they were a normal family with emotional issues, family troubles, and even financial concerns. But the story goes so much further than that. 
From the title, you'd think the story was just about the family life of the Lincoln family. While we get a glimpse into that, the story is more about the world around the Lincolns in Springfield. How did the laws in place impact those who lived there? How about how the war impacted those of color and those who claimed superiority? I think we naively think that everyone in Springfield stood beside the President on all his decisions as it was the town he called home. They didn't. Many resented his Emancipation Proclamation and took matters into their own hands in the form of rioting and lynching mobs. What the war was fought over wasn't cut and dry even in Lincoln's town. Everything about the war and the issues surrounding it was muddied. It was complicated, and it turned everyone's lives upside down. 
We think our world is perfect when we are children and even into our young adult years. Then something happens to rip the rose-colored glasses from our eyes. In the book, it was the rioting in Springfield that showed the young girl turned mature woman that everyone did not get along and held deep grudges that would lead to the death of innocent people. 
I would go on about how well the writing was or how the characters developed in ways that kept me hooked. But I took something else away from this fictional story. I took it personal. I saw how I viewed my world and when I was disappointed in its inhabitants. The book made me step back and view my own small world and the social and political actions going on now. How will history view this? Will it be forgotten? This is even brought up in the book. How right the character was in thinking that all the horror would be forgotten. And how it shouldn't have been. 
A wonderful read that will keep you reading until the end and still be wanting more. A haunting story that will inevitability move you to your very soul.

This book is an interesting historical fiction look at the Lincoln era of Springfield Illinois. I loved how all the characters wove together with the events of that era.
This book is beautifully written and a smooth read. I highly recommend it!

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

As a history nerd, I really enjoyed this story set in Springfield, Illinois. Focusing primarily on Ana Ferreira, a young Portuguese immigrant, multiple characters are followed through their lives starting in 1851. Along with Ana, we meet a number of free blacks who are involved in the Underground Railroad, the Lincolns, in particular Mary Todd Lincoln, when Ana becomes part of their daily lives as she begins to work in their household. We see the Douglas-Lincoln debates, the secrets and fears around slave catchers, how the Civil War impacts families away from the battlefields, and how the politics around race evolve.

I found the first half of the book to be the most engaging as the author provides a more detailed description for 10 years until the Lincolns move to the White House. The pace picks up once the Lincolns move to Washington with the story alternating between Mary Lincoln in DC and Ana in Springfield: through the years of the Civil War and ending with Lincoln’s assassination. And then rapidly moving through decades, culminating in the 1908 race riots in Springfield. Ana is a likable, intelligent, and engaging character through which we experience the complicated and ugly story of race in America as seen by one American from the 19th Century.

The House of Lincoln is another beautiful historical fiction novel by Nancy Horan. We delve into the backstory of Abraham Lincoln, his life and family, and get a better understanding of his often polarizing wife Mary. If you enjoy stories about important historical figures and events, this is a must read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is historical fiction offering a unique perspective on the period following the Civil War that our history books have labeled Reconstruction. Through the eyes of Ana, a recent immigrant who arrives in the Lincoln household, the reader sees a very specific view of American life in Springfield around the turn of the century.

Overall, I think this book accomplished what it intended: take an often-covered time period, stretch it through one not covered enough, and tell the story of a little known struggle for freedom in Springfield via the eyes of a white outsider.

"An acquaintance had said, 'That neighborhood needed to burn down in order to save it.' It was an ignorant remark from an otherwise intelligent woman. For Ana, it reflected what had happened in Springfield. The heart of the town seemed to have dissolved in the crucible of the riot."

This book reminds me that history is always told from a certain point of view. Read this story for yourself and make your own conclusions.

This was a DNF (did not finish) as it did not hook me in. It was not as well crafted as I had hoped. Thank you for the ARC.

Nancy Horan offers a new and intimate perspective on the Lincoln family, as seen through the eyes of a young immigrant girl working in their home. I don't know if I would have picked this book if I hadn't already read (and loved) George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo, a powerful interpretation of President Lincoln's struggle with grief after losing his son, Willie. That book piqued my interest in the Lincolns, and Nancy Horan's moving portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln offered the perfect follow-up. Seen through the eyes of the fictional Ana Ferreira, who began working in the Lincoln home at 14, Horan insures that we will follow the Lincolns throughout their lives, before and beyond the White House. Ferreira provides broad perspective and context throughout her own life, but also homes in on the smallest details of character. Perfect for fans of historical fiction or civil war era stories.

Another Well researched book by Nancy Horan!

What I loved:
1. I loved the topic and the research by the author. I learned a lot from the people or "house" of Lincoln that I didn't know previously. Illinois history and the country's history were told from the perspective of multiple narrators about situations that took place during these key moments of Lincoln's life.
2. I loved the multiple narrators as they told us their experiences and responses to the activities and events happening during this time.

What I wanted to be different:
There was a lot of richness and detail to the historical facts and sometimes the book was disjointed because of it - there was more relating of the facts and recording of events. I wanted to have the facts and events woven into the story more seamlessly.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the chance to read!

3.9 but rating up. I really liked Loving Frank, a riveting historical book by this author so was hoping the same for this.. I actually loved the historical fiction aspects parts that delved into the young Lincoln family in Springfield, Illinois and their journey to the presidency. The novel also showed the changes in the town of Springfield over the years, from pre Civil war times with the Black laws, the rising prominence and status of African American families in the town and respect from the whites, the impact of the civil war on the town and the ascendency of Abraham Lincoln and his anti slavery views, to the 1908 Springfield race riots that ultimately led and was the precursor to the establishment of tge NAACP. In my opinion, this novel was a very interesting perspective on Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs Lincoln has gotten an unflattering press and has been misunderstood through the years and this one presented a more fresh and different perspective. She was a complicated woman but also endured many horrible tragedies in her life, including the deaths of two young children, her husband as she sat next to him when he was assassinated, and in some ways unjust critiques of her mental status and lavish spending while at the White House. This novel gave fresh insights and showed her as an ambitious, generous, and kind person. It also showed the love she and her husband shared as spouses, as parents and for the love of their country while trying to make a positive difference. I really liked the early part of the novel on the Lincoln’s, less so of the latter part which I thought took on too much of a political dimension but still interesting on the history

🇺🇸 4th of July Book Review 🇺🇸
The House of Lincoln 🎩
By: Nancy Horan
Publisher: SourceBooks
Published: June 6, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to SourceBooks Landmarked @bookmarked and the author for my copy of this book. It is such a beautiful cover!

Synopsis: "Rich with historical detail, The House of Lincoln is an insightful account of Lincoln's transformative vision for democracy as observed through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield, Illinois from Madeira, Portugal.
Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, fourteen-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting 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. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, Ana confronts the racial prejudice her friend encounters daily as she watches the inner workings of the Underground Railroad, and directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.
Culminating in an 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 continue to reverberate today."

Read if you like:
🎩 Historical fiction
🇺🇸 stories based on real events
🎩 Immigrant stories
🇺🇸 Rich language and imagery

Though a little slower initially, the story was quite enjoyable for me. I really enjoy historical stories based on true events and this was no exception. I flew through the latter half of this book and learned so much more about the Lincolns and our country at the time of the Civil War. I don't know what it is, I just find is so fascinating. Once upon a time I would have loved to have written books like this myself!
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to review this book and I couldn't think of a better day to do it than our nation's birthday.

The House of Lincoln

An incredible read, full of truth and filled in by what is unknown but possibly true.

This was such an interesting read, I think it's safe to say I've never read anything quite like it. The mid 1800s setting through the 1900s was so interesting to me and the author did a great job of building the "world". The view of Abe Lincoln and his family through the eyes of Ana was truly captivating. I loved how layered everything was including the characters. I would definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans.

I live in Indiana not far from where Abraham Lincoln grew up. I’ve also visited his birthplace in Kentucky, as well as Springfield, Illinois, where he practiced law. Through all of this, I have developed a strong interested in Lincoln lore and am always intrigued when a new book comes out about this great man.
The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan delves into the lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln from a unique vantage point: It is told from the perspective of a young Portuguese refugee, Ana Ferreira, who began working for the Lincolns in Springfield as a “Saturday girl.” In this role, she looked after the children and helped with some housework. Through the years, her service became increasingly valuable to the Lincoln family, and she moved with them to the White House and continued working for Mary after the President was assassinated.
Through Ana, we view important happenings, such as the Springfield race riots and ultimately the Civil War and use of the Underground Railroad. This gives us an “inside look” at factors which helped to shape and reinforce President Lincoln’s personal beliefs and the ideals on which he based his campaign and presidency.
The author seems to have done her research, and I greatly enjoyed all the small personal details she has woven into this engaging novel. I would recommend The House of Lincoln to those who enjoy historical fiction, Lincoln lore, and stories related to the Civil War.

Despite being historical fiction, this book is full of facts that are really interesting and relatively unknown. This book was great. I loved the perspective and the journey it went on.

Ana is a young lady working in the Lincoln household. She is there to help Mary with all her children. But Ana is very intelligent and she takes in a lot of her surroundings. She witnesses a lot of secrets…like the Underground Railroad. This throws her and her good friend into danger.

This story follows Ana and the Lincolns. And it does encompass a great deal of the history, so I won’t dwell on what you know. But this is a complex, well researched tale. From racial issues, family squabbles all the way to the White House, this story encompasses it all! I learned a great deal in this novel. This does have a large amount of politics, of course. But, I love how the author portrays Lincoln as a man, husband and father more than a politician.

And Mary Lincoln! I knew a little, but I had no idea about the problems she had with her family during the war or how her life ended. It was not easy, that’s for sure!

Need a good historical fiction tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This well-written, well-researched book, told mostly through the eyes of Ana Ferreira a Portuguese immigrant, educates the reader on little known or long forgotten history. Young Ana finds work at the home of Abraham Lincoln, helping out and taking care of the Lincoln's young boys. We get to know the complicated Mary Todd Lincoln and learn of Lincoln's evolution on emancipation and civil rights. Following the war, Ana deals with her husband's trauma, the loss of family, and the complications of race relations in a changing America. I learned a lot from this book It would be a great book group read.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. It was a great story and it was interesting to see the Lincolns from another perspective.

This is a three star rounded up for me. It was not at all what I was expecting and it was SO slow moving. I was excited for this one because of the Lincoln connection. Don’t be mistaken - Lincoln is barely there and the first part of the book takes a long time to getting to the point. It is detail overloaded as we learn about pieces of the Underground Railroad. Don’t get me wrong - it is historical fiction about the time Lincoln lived but the connections were sparse. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the read.

What a historical delight this was! Even though, this reader is a huge Abe Lincoln fan, anyone with the slightest interest in history will thoroughly enjoy reading it! I've read so much about Lincoln (have even put flowers on his grave... yes, I'm that big of a fan), there were new details that I either had never heard or had long forgotten.

And one thing I really liked is that Mary Lincoln is portrayed as intelligent, kind, a supportive wife and SANE! Unlike so many characterizations I have heard and read of her. Who are we to know? While the story focuses on Lincoln and his emancipation goals and achievements, the main character is a young girl named Ana who worked in the Lincoln home when the boys were little.

Hats off to the author, Nancy Horan, for the tons of research she must have undertaken to include so many details, such as Lincoln's writings and speeches. And thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it. Totally recommend! Oh, and one interesting thing is that I read most of it on June Nineteenth which made the new holiday even more memorable.

This was such a vivid and captivating book! I could not put it down. It was clearly very well researched and I will have to keep this author on my radar for future books.