I Am Abraham: A Novel of Lincoln and the Civil War by Jerome Charyn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me begin by prefacing this review with the following:
1. Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president.
2. I have not read Bill O’Reilly’s book about Lincoln, but I have seen the film.
3. I also saw that Lincoln film that came out last year.

I don’t recall when my interest in Abraham Lincoln began, but I know I was quite young. I couldn’t get enough of Civil War history, and I was always intrigued by President Lincoln. When I began reading this book, I was completely engrossed. In some ways, my “rushing” through the book was somewhat of a shame, but I knew the efficacy of producing a quality review within a limited amount of time.

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first. I could have done without the profanity, but all profanity seemed to be used correctly (if that makes sense), and knowing Lincoln’s background, he may have spoken somewhat like the author paints him. Thankfully the Lord’s name was never used inappropriately, and the “f” word never made its appearance. I also could have done without some of the sexual imagery, but it was not terribly detailed, and often it was implied. In addition to this, most of it was appropriate.

Positives? I could go on for quite some time, but let me point out the highlights. I adored the opening of the book, and I also was enraptured with the first person narrative. I learned much about Lincoln (and according the epilogue, the author did his homework) and his family. Much of what I learned concerned his early political career and the other members of his family. While I have not verified everything I read, it seems that the things I have learned are true.

My favorite thing about this book is that for the first time, Abraham Lincoln seems like a real person. He lived, loved, made mistakes, and changed our country for the better. This book is truly a testament to his unbelievable life.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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