Old Abe by John Cribb

"This nation is the world's best hope for freedom...If we save the Union, we prove that popular government is not an absurdity. We save a government founded to elevate the condition of men- to lift artificial weights from all shoulders, to afford all an unfettered start."

I am picky about my historical fiction, and reading Old Abe over the past week checked off all my boxes. Growing up in Boston gave me an early love of American history, but I was also raised by a father who had me walk the battlefields of Gettysburg at a young age. I might have whined about it then, but I am incredibly grateful now.

Cribb's novel brings one of our nation's icons to life and gives us the backstory of what Mr. Lincoln was experiencing on a personal level while also trying to save the country. We learn more about his troubled wife, Mary, the relationships with his sons and the men he chose to help guide him through some of our darkest hours.

Old Abe humanizes a man we have all studied and idolized and brings to light the weight that was on Lincoln's shoulders; it is astounding. The physical copy of Old Abe is a booklover's treasure. The cover is antiqued and the pages are thick and deckle edged - I've already purchased my father a copy for Christmas.

Old Abe reads like a novel, but is packed with the facts from the years leading up to Lincoln's assassination -- I think this is the most accessible way to process history. It is also a solid reminder that as a nation we have risen from some very dark times and we will rise again.