Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler tells of the origins behind one of the most infamous murderers in political history - John Wilkes Booth. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I am a history buff, but in addition to that, I am a massive fan of Abraham Lincoln (despite his flaws), and so it was only natural to eventually become interested in his assassin as well. I have become very well acquainted with Booth's life leading up to and after the assassination of Lincoln, but this was my first experience learning about his family and childhood. 

This book really surprised me and I honestly adored it. It's not that I expected NOT to like it, but the ratings on Goodreads were generally lower than I thought they'd be. Many of the reviewers had claimed that they were disappointed by the lack of John Wilkes Booth content, but the synopsis clearly states that this is about the history of the family, not just John. In addition to that, the last 1/3 of the book completely focuses on John and his erratic behavior leading up to the assassination. I was really quite shocked to see so many people not even giving this book a chance. 

Karen Joy Fowler wriite an amazing book. She did some impressively deep research and packed this book with as much nonfiction as possible, yet it read like a novel and the prose leaps from the page. You really get sucked into the story of the Booths. Another impressive aspect of this book is Fowler's ability to take what feels like too many characters and gives them each equal time, focus, and care, and for the most part, as a reader, we become incredibly intimate with most of the Booth family members.

This book is historical fiction but it was also philosophical, mystical, magical, and dark - there is such an artistry that is hidden in these pages. This rating is more of a 4.5 instead of a 5 because of the fictionalization of Rosemary's story and POV, although Fowler's decision of doing this is completely understandable. If you are a fan of historical fiction, Booth is a gorgeous gem of a read.