The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln

By: Stephen L. Carter

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

From the best-selling author of The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White, comes a daring reimagining of one of the most tumultuous moments in our nation’s past.

Stephen L. Carter’s thrilling new novel takes as its starting point an alternate history: President Abraham Lincoln survives the assassination attempt at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. Two years later he is charged with overstepping his constitutional authority, both during and after the Civil War, and faces an impeachment trial....

Twenty-one-year-old Abigail Canner is a young black woman with a degree from Oberlin, a letter of employment from the law firm that has undertaken Lincoln’s defense, and the iron-strong conviction, learned from her late mother, that “whatever limitations society might place on ordinary negroes, they would never apply to her.” And so Abigail embarks on a life that defies the norms of every stratum of Washington society: working side by side with a white clerk, meeting the great and powerful of the nation - including the president himself. But when Lincoln’s lead counsel is found brutally murdered on the eve of the trial, Abigail is plunged into a treacherous web of intrigue and conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the divided government.

Here is a vividly imagined work of historical fiction that captures the emotional tenor of post-Civil War America, a brilliantly realized courtroom drama that explores the always contentious question of the nature of presidential authority, and a galvanizing story of political suspense.

©2012 Stephen L. Carter (P)2012 Random House Audio

Worth It For Serious Readers

Is putting Lincoln on the stand just a sham? Remember, Lincoln???s successor, Andrew Johnson, WAS impeached by the House of Representatives. Lincoln had VERY limited support in his own government. He DID suspend Habeas Corpus.

I assumed I would be reading a story with a strong opinion on Lincoln laced with modern preaching. I was dead wrong. I dare say there is some genius in this novel. Mr. Carter???s book is actually stunning in its scope and I never once felt a single moment of authorial intrusion. Thank God! The characters are independent and the course of the novel is driven by their actions. The author never shies away from allowing the actual members of the U.S. government to become fully engaged in this conflict. There are senators, congressmen, chief justices, and Civil War generals buzzing about Washington like angry hornets. Racism had bloody teeth back then and Abigail, an educated ???colored??? woman gives us an excellent lead character. She???s very real, very vulnerable, and very motivated to push to the dark center of a conspiracy.

I LOVED the book???s portrayal of the capital city. Washington D.C. is a half-constructed labyrinth of Byzantine politics, skullduggery, and even murder. I was there. I was surrounded.

I did not give the book 5 stars because it is very slow moving and takes quite some time for the effects of the tale to take hold of you. The plot lines are heavily dialogue-driven. So, instead of FOX News fireworks, you???ll get something more akin to C-SPAN. That said, if you can weather the chatter of lawyers and politicians, you will be pleased to find yourself submerged into the deep waters of a fully imagined era.

In the end, Mr. Carter???s novel explores the phenomenon of a moral debate when it enters the arena of power politics. A moral position can be massacred by legal sharpshooters who serve powerful people. However, time is a courtroom with a jury of generations. History always issues the final verdict.

could have should have been better

struggled to finish. narration was good but the story did not come of as interesting as the summary presented

Are you kidding? I put this on my wish list? Why?

A story based on the premise President Lincoln survived being shot by John Wilkes Booth sounded ridiculous. On the other hand I have always wondered what would of happened if Mr. Lincoln had survived. In spite of a bit of a slow start not listening to this book never crossed my mind and not long into it I realized I really was hooked. I feel I know post civil war American better thanks to this book. Paul Boehmer does a great narration!

One interesting Legal drama.

Where does The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'd say somewhere in my top tne. The narration is impressive. The pirimace interesting.

What other book might you compare The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln to and why?

I can't think of any other one to compare it to, accept maybe The Moscow Club.

What does Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent narration with great work on the accents.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Hardly.

Any additional comments?

A great read for any fans of legal work or alternate history.

Interesting fork to take on the road

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

One road splits of into two ultimately merging together again before the road ends. The outcome of Lincoln's legacy is unchanged but the events taken to get there brings this version of Carter's history into a parallel universe making this an extordinary story.

Interesting, but long and dry

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only a period fanatic would appreciate the story. It takes half the book to get to the trial and then side steps the trial for other sub plots.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting is the acting.

Not exactly what I was hoping

I was expecting to have more face time with Lincoln in this novel, unfortunately the double murder of an attorney and a black woman take center stage and the impeachment becomes more of a side show for most of the book. I think the idea behind this book was creative, but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

As far as the conspiracy theory and the mystery behind the murders, it did keep my attention as a mystery, but I found myself relatively detached from Lincoln's impeachment as a result. Someone familiar with the language of the law world may enjoy this book more than I did, since the author is an attorney, but I just found it overwhelming.

liked the story not....

i liked the concept of the story buy not the author. i would not read another one of his novels

Long but interesting historical novel

This long novel tells a story about what might have happened had Lincoln survived the assassination attempt. The main character is an African American woman, Abigail Canner, who gets hired as a clerk by the law firm defending Lincoln at his impeachment. She encounters issues of gender and race in Washington DC in the 1860's. She is a very smart and strong character. I liked her. This book has many great parts, but it is too much at times. There are so many minor characters and details regarding conspiracies against Lincoln. I was overwhelmed at times and struggled to keep details straight. Stephen Carter does a great job at transporting me back to this place and time. I loved the politics and politicians, and found the trial engaging and interesting. This novel is a legal thriller, a mystery, a love story, and a political drama. It took on too much for me, and some parts dragged, while other parts were quite good. I am glad that I put in the 22 hours into it. Even though it is fiction, I feel I learned a lot. The author is a scholar who clearly did his homework. The only other Carter book I have read, Back Channel, was a much better novel.

Alternative history? Sort of. Good listen? Yes!

Where does The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I would put this in the top one-third. I've listened to a LOT of audiobooks, though.

What other book might you compare The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln to and why?

I would compare it to a number of mass-appeal civil war/reconstruction histories, also to some alternative history novels.

What about Paul Boehmer???s performance did you like?

Good pacing, differentiation among speakers without being artificial or corny.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Revelations towards end about conspiracies.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun audiobook for someone who is a bit of a history "nerd" and enjoys alternative histories that are not focused on the intricacies of military theory and or an intimate knowledge of the period covered. I liked it a lot. It is not very much like Carter's other novels, which I also read and enjoyed, in that it has a bit more universal appeal and is not focused on a particular ethnic group and class, but it is equally well written and plotted.