Henry and Clara: A Novel

From Publishers Weekly

This novel is based on the lives of Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris, a couple who were sharing President Lincoln's box at the Ford Theater the evening he was assassinated. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-This novel details the lives of the Rathbones, a young couple who were guests in the president's box at Ford's Theater the night of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Although Henry and Clara, stepbrother and stepsister, overcame the objections of their socially and politically prominent family to marry, they could never escape the memories of that night at the theater; innuendo, rumor, and guilt dogged them until their lives ended by madness and murder. YAs will be fascinated by this story about ordinary people caught up in an overwhelming historical event. The author's finely drawn characters present insight into American social and family life from the mid 1800s to 1911, as well as a wonderful picture of Washington, D.C., during and after the Civil War. Also, readers will realize that our lives are driven by the sum of all the parts of our experience, including family, relationships, and the times in which we live. Carol Clark, R.E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.