Booth

Very good book. I’m a dumbass and didn’t know this was a based on a real story and real people but I enjoyed it so much regardless. The way of her writing was new, and intriguing. I thoroughly liked this book

Booth is not a story about John Wilkes Booth. Instead, it follows the entire Booth family, from its troubled patriarch, the heralded stage actor Junius, to the eldest surviving child, the quiet spinster Rosalie, to the stubborn and beautiful Asia, to the passionate Edwin struggling to assert himself as heir to his father’s theatrical legacy. John is just one of the many characters in this story, a volatile, handsome young man loved fiercely by his siblings even when he begins to fall from grace. Repudiating his father’s tolerant views and his family’s loyalty to the Union, John steeps himself in sympathy to the Southern cause, while the rest of his siblings wrestle with their own changing affections, burgeoning careers, blossoming families, and decades-old sorrows. Karen Joy Fowler creates an unconventional structure to the story, sprinkling vignettes of Lincoln alongside scenes from the Booths’ lives. There are moments where the text skips into the future and back again into its present, the narrative adopting a meandering, omnipresent quality as the Booth family endures both tragedies and triumphs. 3.5/5: A unique work of historical fiction that humanizes the infamous family and JWB himself without eulogizing or excusing his actions. It was a bit too slow-paced for me, partly because I knew it was heading for the inevitable conclusion of the assassination. Some characters are more compelling than others, but each of the Booths manage to emerge as holistic individuals rather than caricatured or hollow interpretations. Booth is more a collection of musings on the concept of family than a straight-forward historical fiction novel, something that is likely to appeal to many readers. I found myself seeking something more solid and structured, but I also appreciated the creative and measured approach to such a tricky historical subject. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.