Booth's Daughter

by Raymond Wemmlinger

Book Overview

The niece of Lincoln's assassin comes to terms with her family's genius and tragic history. In March 1880 at age eighteen, Edwina is experiencing many new things. For the first time she sees her actor... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932425861
• ISBN13: 9781932425864
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.3" x 5.9"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

A New Perspective on an Old Story

"I was attracted to the book by the title: `Booth's Daughter'. What would the daughter of John Wilkes Booth have to say on the subject of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Being not about the daughter of the infamous Booth, but rather his niece, Edwina, the daughter of his elder brother, Edwin, the topic is rarely mentioned. The Booth family refers to it merely as `The Incident', abandoning it to the past. "Yet there is no leaving tragedy fully behind that is never fully brought out into the light. Wemmlinger infers this reality by showing Edwina, one's guide through 1880s New England, that tragedy follows all shows of greatness. One example after the next enters her life of how both affect all people. That juxtaposition of the two even affects her father, the great tragedian actor of his day. `The Incident', she surmises, infused him with the lament of personal pain to draw upon in all his performances. "There is even a subtle inference to Edwin's superior acting talent as being the impetus to John Wilkes' act - an effort to upstage his brother. This is never explicitly declared. It is Wemmlinger's superb writing of the story to plant the possibility in a reader's mind. It is one mere nugget of treasure to cull from this wonderful story a century past in our past."

YA Historical Fiction

Edwina Booth has just reached her 18th birthday and is beginning to experience the benefits of adulthood. For one, her father, the famous American Shakespearian actor Edwin Booth, is finally allowing her to see him in his title role in King Lear. For another, she's being invited to all sorts of social outings and parties for young people. The advantage of the latter is obvious - in Edwina's practical mind, she already has plans to find a husband (an artist, preferably) who she can marry and support. In fact, it seems her entire life is planned out precisely the way she wants it. But meanwhile her stepmother's illness worsens, her father has to keep up with his life as an actor, and there's always The Subject that threatens to interfere with the lives of the Booth family. You see, Edwina is the niece of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln. From a performer's point of view, I rather enjoyed reading a non-performer's view of an actor (Edwina's father) and his struggles and triumphs. The book itself is one that you have to be in just the right mood for, otherwise I suppose it might drag a bit. Edwina's voice seemed just a little flat. Yet I was quite drawn into Booth's Daughter; it was a refreshing and interesting historical tale of one girl's struggles into womanhood. A relaxing read to curl up with.