The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter

                The Civil War is over. The Union has won. The slaves are free. President Lincoln was shot but survived. The Washington Monument is under way in Washington City and there is a trial underway to impeach President Lincoln. The Senate is trying to impeach on four separate counts. It is believed that the Radicals in Lincoln’s own Republican Party are behind the proceedings. Not enough has been done to the curb the attitude of the southerners. The Ku Klux runs wild and unchecked. The radicals believe that even though the President supports the Civil Rights Act, enforcing it is entirely different issue that he is failing at. Abigail Canner is the new clerk hired by Dennard and McShane, the law firm representing Mr. Lincoln. She is a young black graduate from Oberlin hoping to one day be a lawyer. She is part of a family that has been free for three generations and heralds Lincoln as something of a hero. Jonathan Hilliman is the law clerk at the firm and comes from a well to do white family in the north. As the case and trial for the impeachment of Lincoln goes underway the two begin to try and derail a conspiracy around the death of one of the firm’s lawyers and the disappearance of people throughout the city, including Abigail’s own sister.

                I am a sucker for alternative history novels. I find the re-imaginings to be extremely interesting and entertaining. Imagining the difference that could have been made based on the death of one person or the loss of a war opens up a huge array of options for an author. This held no exception. What would have happened if Lincoln had survived the assassination attempt on his life? Could he have possibly been impeached for some of the decisions he made during the Civil War? Would he still be remembered as he is now, with a huge monument celebrating his life in Washington D.C.? We will never know. But this nevertheless is a really entertaining historical fiction and mystery. This novel revolves around the two clerks, Abigail and Jonathan. Readers learn about the differences between the two and how those differences affect not only their lives, careers and views but the way they are treated within work and society. Two obviously different ends of the spectrum. They come to respect each other and viewing the United States through their eyes gave a very well rounded interpretaion of what life may have been like at that time.

                After creating two well developed characters Carter went on to develop the persona of lawyers, Senators, Representatives and those members of high society that were very easy to love or hate. He also had to create this image of a post-Civil War Lincoln. Overall I thought he did a pretty damn good job. One of the things I really enjoyed while reading this were the perceptions that people had of Lincoln and the United States post-Civil War. Some black people admired him while others thought he did the bare minimum. There were plenty of white people who felt the same way. There were a lot of mixed emotions and deceit was at an all-time high. No one knew what was going to happen next. That tension so soon after a very costly war had every one on edge and was obvious throughout the story.

                If Carter set out to make mystery/alternate history/historical fiction novel, with plenty of twist and turns and eye opening views and dissenting opinions about the president, then he succeeded. I really enjoyed this novel. It was way more complicated than I expected it to be, in a good way. It was layered and complex and an all-encompassing experience with a satisfying and unexpected ending. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.