The House Of Lincoln
In 1853, thirteen-year-old Portuguese immigrant Ana Ferreira lands a job as a house girl in the home of attorney Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois. While assisting Mrs. Lincoln with her sons and the duties borne by the wife of a rising political star, Ana bears witness to Mr. Lincoln’s evolving views on slavery and the Union, and observes the complexity of the couple’s marriage.
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. The House of Lincoln takes readers on a journey through the buildup to Lincoln’s presidency, the duration of the Civil War and its aftermath through the eyes of three characters: Ana, a Black minister and brother of a man who conducts escaped slaves through town, and Mary Lincoln. The events that unfold in Springfield chronicle the making of a president during deeply divisive times, events that ultimately reshaped America and continue to reverberate today.
On sale June 6, 2023
Praise for The House of Lincoln:
“Here, happily, is Nancy Horan doing once again what Nancy Horan does best—telling us the part of the story we don’t yet know. Strong on fine detail yet cognizant of the expansive historical context, Horan’s newest is wonderfully immersive, memorable, important, and pertinent. An ambitious and accomplished work.”
—Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Booth and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
“Brimming with a rich and unforgettable array of imagined and real historical figures who helped to shape Springfield, Illinois, and the nation beyond during the turbulent time of slavery and the Civil War, The House of Lincoln is storytelling at its best.”
—Gail Tsukiyama, author of The Color of Air, The Samurai’s Garden, and The Brightest Star
“What a gift Nancy Horan has for conjuring the past and bringing it vividly to life! Here, she turns her considerable talents to Lincoln’s strange road to the White House and the turbulence of his presidency, illuminating lesser-known perspectives and details that resonate eerily with our contemporary times. This is top-quality literary time-travel, and the trip is well worth taking.”
—Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z, A Well-Behaved Woman and A Good Neighborhood
“The book's greatest strength is its unexpected examination of racism in central Illinois, a state long associated with both the Underground Railroad and the Union…Horan has succeeded in illuminating an underconsidered segment of American history.
By adding nuance to the history of Illinois in the years surrounding the Civil War, Horan foregrounds the era’s complexity.”
—Kirkus Review
“Nancy Horan’s novel tells of the period’s political tumult, abolitionist fervor, and unchecked violence. With its smartly tuned dialogue and insistence on hope, the novel delivers a forceful, engrossing read.”
—The Christian Science Monitor
“The strong sense of place is enhanced by sympathetic characters who, to the end, embody hope and determination. . .This is a compelling reminder that events of the past are indelibly connected to attitudes that persist today.”
—Booklist
“Nancy Horan’s nuanced portrait of Abraham Lincoln as his thoughts on emancipation evolve and her deft, revelatory use of narrators from marginalized communities enhance this compelling, beautifully crafted novel. The House of Lincoln evokes the past to illuminate the present as only the very best historical fiction can.”
—Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times, bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters
“The gifted Nancy Horan once again brings readers into a story—inspired by real events—that will forever change the way they perceive famous historical figures and their times. In the captivating and important The House of Lincoln, the young Portuguese immigrant Ana is hired to help in the Springfield, Illinois, home of Abraham Lincoln as the Great Emancipator is on the rise. Through Ana’s relationship with Lincoln’s wife, Mary, and her close friendship with Cal, a free Black girl, the novel explores a lesser-known aspect of a crucial historical period.”
—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room
