Courting Mr. Lincoln

Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard   352 pages

I’ve long admired Abraham and Mary Lincoln. To me, they are the most fascinating people in American history. In this telling of their story, author Louis Bayard focuses not on Abe’s assassination or Mary’s probable mental illness or shrewdness. Instead Bayard focuses on their courtship.  And here we get to see a calmer, more focused and a more womanly Mary Todd.

The novel is told from two viewpoints, that of Mary Todd and Lincoln’s BFF, Joshua Speed. 

In Mary’s sections, Bayard focuses on the facts from 1839-1842. He describes Mary’s arrival at her sister’s house in the growing capital of Springfield, Illinois.  She as there to catch a husband, but it is apparent that Mary is no wall flower. I won’t say she came off as aggressive, but she had a passion for politics as well as a keen intellect. Readers get to watch the couple’s first meeting, their secret meetings at a friend’s home that led to their engagement in 1840, the collapse of the relationship in 1841, and their reunification and marriage in 1842. If anyone came off as a shrew during this time, it was Mary’s sister, Elizabeth. 

In Speed’s section, readers have an opportunity to witness a 19^th- century bromance. They went virtually everywhere together, lived together, and even slept in the same bed. But before we can label Lincoln as bisexual, readers must remember that their sleeping arrangement was bit uncommon during that time. Bayard subtly hints at Lincoln and Speed’s possible sexual relationship in the way that they word the same color vest to a party and took care of each other when they were very ill. There was also some touching of hands on hands and hands on shoulders when the other seemed to need a subtle. If readers are looking for definitive proof that the two men were intimately involved, it can’t be found.

The novel, for me, was not a fast read, nor was it as engrossing as I had hoped. However, the alternating stories were well told and provided a much deeper understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln and Joshua Speed. Therefore, “Courting Mr. Lincoln” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.