Booth
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-05-14 07:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Karen Joy Fowler
- ISBN：0593541553
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From the Man Booker finalist and bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic novel about the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth。
In 1822， a secret family moves into a secret cabin some thirty miles northeast of Baltimore， to farm， to hide， and to bear ten children over the course of the next 16 years。 Junius Booth—breadwinner， celebrated Shakespearean actor and master of the house in all ways—is at once a mesmerizing talent and a man of terrifying instability。 One by one the children arrive， as year by year， the country draws closer to the boiling point of secession and civil war。
As the children grow and the tenor of the world shifts， the Booths cement their place as one of the country’s leading theatrical families。 But behind the curtains of the many stages they have graced， multiple scandals， family triumphs， and disasters begin to take their toll。 A startling portrait of a country in the throes of change and a vivid exploration of brother- and sisterhood， Booth is a riveting historical novel focused on the very things that bind， and break， a family。
In 1822， a secret family moves into a secret cabin some thirty miles northeast of Baltimore， to farm， to hide， and to bear ten children over the course of the next 16 years。 Junius Booth—breadwinner， celebrated Shakespearean actor and master of the house in all ways—is at once a mesmerizing talent and a man of terrifying instability。 One by one the children arrive， as year by year， the country draws closer to the boiling point of secession and civil war。
As the children grow and the tenor of the world shifts， the Booths cement their place as one of the country’s leading theatrical families。 But behind the curtains of the many stages they have graced， multiple scandals， family triumphs， and disasters begin to take their toll。 A startling portrait of a country in the throes of change and a vivid exploration of brother- and sisterhood， Booth is a riveting historical novel focused on the very things that bind， and break， a family。
Reviews
Pam
，
Booth is an intimate portrait of a family and a fascinating portrait of a country simmering toward civil war。 Gorgeously told and filled with rich historical detail， Fowler builds a deep connection to the Booth children that is alternately poignant， heartbreaking， and filled with compassion。 The ending was incredible。
Carolyn
，
Maybe I am going through a phase 。。。 but this too （like The Great Mistake by J Lee） was too slow。 I liked what I read。Maybe I will come back to it。 But since it is a library loan， it has to go back， and I am not willing to do what is needed to finish it in time。
Kathy Phillips
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Booth ， a historical fiction on the family of John Wilkes Booth。 At times I was enthralled with the siblings and the talent in this family。 And at other times the book moved slowly ， making it difficult to continue reading。 But what I record the most from this novel is how someone's tragic behavior effects so many innocent individuals just because they knew the guilty participant or because they were siblings。 This novel is one I will always remember。 Booth ， a historical fiction on the family of John Wilkes Booth。 At times I was enthralled with the siblings and the talent in this family。 And at other times the book moved slowly ， making it difficult to continue reading。 But what I record the most from this novel is how someone's tragic behavior effects so many innocent individuals just because they knew the guilty participant or because they were siblings。 This novel is one I will always remember。 。。。more
Eva Leaden
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This was a wonderfully written， character-driven historical fiction about the family of a well-known killer。 We all know the name John Wilkes Booth， but do you know The Booths？June， Rosalie， Edwin， Asia， John， and Joe are the surviving children of the Booth family and this book dives into the lives of them all and the aftermath of one of the pinnacle moments in American History。I really enjoyed this book but it wasn’t without its faults。 If you are a historian or love reading about historical fi This was a wonderfully written， character-driven historical fiction about the family of a well-known killer。 We all know the name John Wilkes Booth， but do you know The Booths？June， Rosalie， Edwin， Asia， John， and Joe are the surviving children of the Booth family and this book dives into the lives of them all and the aftermath of one of the pinnacle moments in American History。I really enjoyed this book but it wasn’t without its faults。 If you are a historian or love reading about historical figures I think this is a great read for you， otherwise， it might be a struggle。 I personally have been fascinated with the Civil War era and Abe Lincoln since I was a kid so it was a very interesting take on that time of the world。 Definitely slow and character-driven but I am glad I read it and would definitely recommend to anyone interested！ 。。。more
A。H。 Kim
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Haiku review: Fowler's writing stunsLaVoy's narration dazzlesRiveted for days Haiku review: Fowler's writing stunsLaVoy's narration dazzlesRiveted for days 。。。more
Stacy Purcaro
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If you think you’re going to read a book about the notorious John Wilkes Booth， you’re wrong。 The story is a slow character build of everyone in the family， and how they viewed John as their son and brother。 Intricately written， this book reveals how complex it can be loving someone who becomes one of American history’s most hated men。
MelD
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Thoroughly enjoyed this book based upon a famous family of American history， of whom I had never heard of before。 Really enjoyed pov of Rosalie， the Booth of which Fowler had to mostly create/imagine。
gwen g
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I loved this loved this loooooved this。 Hugged it to my chest when I was done。 It’s historical fiction about the family of John Wilkes Booth， an extremely slow burn， and it really is long and meandering and kind of unfocused in the absolute best way — the way that feels like you are getting to know real people instead of following a carefully constructed narrative about them。 And the payoff at the end was incredible。 And it has the best author’s note I’ve ever read。
Nancy Sweeten
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Interesting family and a slow read。 I thought there would be more about John Wilkes Booth， but the book centered around his brothers and sisters and his father。 Quite a family。
Kathy Denker
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Torn between three and four stars。 I generally love historical fiction and I appreciate the nuances of the story， but at times the 464 pages felt a little over indulgent and dragged。 That being said， in the end， it almost seemed to cut short， we lose the wrap up of many of these characters lives。
Vanessa
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Not my favorite era to read about but it was an interesting book about a unique family。
Janis Fogle
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Another thought provoking book。
Dianne Landry
，
This book was so boring。
Debbie
，
I saw this book talked about a little on Goodreads so decided to give it a try。 The title made me think it might be a more indepth story about John Wilkes Booth himself。 While of course he does appear many times in the story， it's a historical fiction of their family as well as the time during the US as we drew closer to Civil War。It's a long read but definitely worth your time if you enjoy this genre。 I saw this book talked about a little on Goodreads so decided to give it a try。 The title made me think it might be a more indepth story about John Wilkes Booth himself。 While of course he does appear many times in the story， it's a historical fiction of their family as well as the time during the US as we drew closer to Civil War。It's a long read but definitely worth your time if you enjoy this genre。 。。。more
Kyri Freeman
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An incredibly depressing book， not so much for the political events （because the reader already knows what happened） but for the fates of the women。 Beautifully written。
April Chandler
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Exceedingly complicated and well done。
Liv
，
3。5
Diana
，
Looking at some of the other reviews， I have to admit there is a “slog” factor in reading this book。 But even though it was a push， I found the way the book was composed and the way the characters’ complexities were laid out was extremely interesting。 I also appreciated the bits of history that I did not know about—little bits about Lincoln and the riot in New York。 Also， I did not know the magnitude of the Booth family nor the adulterous behavior amongst several actors who were contemporaries o Looking at some of the other reviews， I have to admit there is a “slog” factor in reading this book。 But even though it was a push， I found the way the book was composed and the way the characters’ complexities were laid out was extremely interesting。 I also appreciated the bits of history that I did not know about—little bits about Lincoln and the riot in New York。 Also， I did not know the magnitude of the Booth family nor the adulterous behavior amongst several actors who were contemporaries of Junius Booth。 I appreciated the author’s skill and the story。 I need to rest up before I try another one of her books though。 。。。more
Stephanie Daige
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Finally， I finished this book！I usually love historical fiction， so I expected to really enjoy Booth， but it left me disappointed。 At first I wondered if this would be like Disney's recent trend of retelling a story from the point of view of the villain， i。e。 Maleficent and Cruella。 If it had been， that actually may have been more interesting。 The factual bits of history interspersed throughout the book were fascinating， but otherwise it was a collection of loosely connected vignettes moreso Finally， I finished this book！I usually love historical fiction， so I expected to really enjoy Booth， but it left me disappointed。 At first I wondered if this would be like Disney's recent trend of retelling a story from the point of view of the villain， i。e。 Maleficent and Cruella。 If it had been， that actually may have been more interesting。 The factual bits of history interspersed throughout the book were fascinating， but otherwise it was a collection of loosely connected vignettes moreso than a coherent novel。 Most of the time， it felt like a slog to get through。 It just kept getting bogged down and losing momentum。 By the time I considered not finishing， I felt like I'd gotten too far to discontinue， so I muscled through。 。。。more
Erica Schramm
，
This was a good book as I didn't know anything about the Booth family。 I liked how it didn't focus on John but his siblings。 Some of it dragged but overall a very interesting read。 This was a good book as I didn't know anything about the Booth family。 I liked how it didn't focus on John but his siblings。 Some of it dragged but overall a very interesting read。 。。。more
Maria
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This is the story of Booth。 Not just John Wilkes， but Edwin， Junius Sr。 and Jr。， Rosalie， Asia， and the other family members。 A few years ago， I visited the Booth’s home， Tudor Hall。 It is just a few miles away from where I live。 I travel the same road they must have traveled by horse to the town of Bel Air， where I discovered that John and Joe’s school is the building right near my favorite pizza place！ I felt immersed in my local history and found myself looking up old photos and maps to see t This is the story of Booth。 Not just John Wilkes， but Edwin， Junius Sr。 and Jr。， Rosalie， Asia， and the other family members。 A few years ago， I visited the Booth’s home， Tudor Hall。 It is just a few miles away from where I live。 I travel the same road they must have traveled by horse to the town of Bel Air， where I discovered that John and Joe’s school is the building right near my favorite pizza place！ I felt immersed in my local history and found myself looking up old photos and maps to see the names and faces mentioned in the story。 I really wanted to learn more about the acting dynasty that is so sadly overshadowed by John’s evil deed。 I also wanted to learn the untold stories of the little known family members- the women。 This story did an excellent job of that。 I think the Shakespeare quotes throughout and the descriptions of the quiet beauty around Tudor Hall gave the book a dreamlike appeal for me。 This was a treasure to read！ 。。。more
Don
，
I was leaning towards 3 1/2 ⭐️s and I bumped it to four。 Seemingly well researched historical fiction， but with so many characters it was hard not to wish to know more about one or two。 As like most things the character I most would want to know about was the most difficult to research because there just wasn’t enough information， therefore her character is the most fictional。 I liked Fowlers approach to not concentrate on Wilkes Booth but on his family。 He has had enough notoriety。 Interesting I was leaning towards 3 1/2 ⭐️s and I bumped it to four。 Seemingly well researched historical fiction， but with so many characters it was hard not to wish to know more about one or two。 As like most things the character I most would want to know about was the most difficult to research because there just wasn’t enough information， therefore her character is the most fictional。 I liked Fowlers approach to not concentrate on Wilkes Booth but on his family。 He has had enough notoriety。 Interesting but not by any means exciting。 。。。more
Debbie
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This reminded me of Hamnet， in that its a sweeping tale of a family that it's fascinating to hear about。 We have a wonderful author to fill in the holes of our knowledge about the illustrious and crazy Booth family。 Not just about John Wilkes and the better for it。 This reminded me of Hamnet， in that its a sweeping tale of a family that it's fascinating to hear about。 We have a wonderful author to fill in the holes of our knowledge about the illustrious and crazy Booth family。 Not just about John Wilkes and the better for it。 。。。more
Amber Williams
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This book was just too slow for me to stay committed to。 I tried。 I gave up。 🤣
Anita
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Hard to finishThe writing is wonderful，but the story， itself， is just too dull。 The characters aren't even very interesting never do wells。 Still the author breathes a bit of life into them。 Hard to finishThe writing is wonderful，but the story， itself， is just too dull。 The characters aren't even very interesting never do wells。 Still the author breathes a bit of life into them。 。。。more
Magen Stevenson
，
An intimate look at the cost of someone elses actions on a family。 Seems deeply researched， lots of character development but it all is necessary to carry the weight of what is to come。 Multiple perspectives on an event and a personal we think we know。 Truly enjoyed this read。
Katie Zimmermann
，
I liked this book but it dragged at times and I felt was longer than it needed to be
Carrie Laben
，
Fowler continues to rock。 This book contains all of her strengths - deep grasp of character， keen eye for detail， advocacy that doesn't detract from artfulness - plus a relevance to current events that， if frightening， is nevertheless compelling。 Fowler continues to rock。 This book contains all of her strengths - deep grasp of character， keen eye for detail， advocacy that doesn't detract from artfulness - plus a relevance to current events that， if frightening， is nevertheless compelling。 。。。more
Jeff
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Thought provoking， especially now。 With the reversal of Rose v Wade， I couldn't help but think we are reliving the 1860's and Civil War era。 After all， history repeats itself。 I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion with the author at the LA Festival of Books where she explained that she decided to write the book after another spate of gun violence。 We rightly consider the impact on the victims of the crime but don't give a second thought to the family and friends of the shooters。 Thi Thought provoking， especially now。 With the reversal of Rose v Wade， I couldn't help but think we are reliving the 1860's and Civil War era。 After all， history repeats itself。 I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion with the author at the LA Festival of Books where she explained that she decided to write the book after another spate of gun violence。 We rightly consider the impact on the victims of the crime but don't give a second thought to the family and friends of the shooters。 This book explores the history of the Booth family- the emphasis is not on John Wilkes but rather his parents and siblings。 。。。more
Terri
，
What an immersive novel！ More a family saga than the tale of John Wilkes， Fowler draws the reader back to the heyday of actor Junius Booth and carries us to the hearth of his home and introduces his fledgling family。 Although Junius is a wildly successful actor， his family is haunted by tragedy and loss and we follow his children from childhood into adulthood。If you are looking for a novel focused on John Wilkes Booth， you will be disappointed。 This is more his family’s story， a story as hauntin What an immersive novel！ More a family saga than the tale of John Wilkes， Fowler draws the reader back to the heyday of actor Junius Booth and carries us to the hearth of his home and introduces his fledgling family。 Although Junius is a wildly successful actor， his family is haunted by tragedy and loss and we follow his children from childhood into adulthood。If you are looking for a novel focused on John Wilkes Booth， you will be disappointed。 This is more his family’s story， a story as haunting as any Shakespearean drama。 Fowler skillfully creates complex characters living in challenging times and with intricate interrelationships。 Beautifully done！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Booth
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Booth&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Booth&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0