This is the kind of non-fiction that kids actually want to read. An exhilarating story, punctuated by photos and maps, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a page turner. While nearly everyone is familiar with Lincoln’s assassination and can name the man who shot him, few know the details of the plot or the huge manhunt that transpired after his death.
Swanson covers every detail of the time leading up to, during and following the death of President Lincoln. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your tastes) Swanson covers every detail. Like how Lincoln’s brain matter slid out of the hole in his head. And how blood soaked the dress of Seward’s daughter. It is graphic. And in some ways, it’s slightly more horrible to me, knowing that it was true. That this isn’t just someone indulging their imagination for the gory and obscene. That these events occurred and that that blood was spilt. So it’s highly reader dependent. Some will recoil in horror when they reach the actual photograph of the dead bodies of the conspirators, others will be thrilled.
I was far more interested in the historical details and could have skipped the vivid descriptions of gore. Learning that at Ford’s theater, only one man rises to chase Booth was fascinating to me, as were the number of near misses Booth had before he was caught.
Great for: Lovers of bloodthirsty history. I’d say very strong fourth grade readers could follow it, but whether or not they are prepared to handle the incredibly detailed carnage is another matter entirely.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – One of Booth’s passions is beautiful women. He carries portraits of five of his favorite girlfriends. Lincoln and his wife hold hands.
Profanity – “damn,” “damned” is used, but not as a swear,
Death, Violence and Gore – A gun is pictured in the book (well, on the book even). A brief synopsis of the civil war talks about the deaths due to battle and disease. Booth speculates that he could have shot the president at the inauguration. Lincoln is shot and dies not long after. Lincoln has a bad dream regarding his son and a gun and sends his wife notice to put his son’s pistol away. Booth has guns and ammunition. There is some detail about the capabilities of various guns and ammunition. Booth also has a large knife with him in case his misses his shot. Alternate possibilities for how Booth could have attempted an assassination are posited. There are plans in place to kill both the Vice President and the Secretary of State. Booth threatens to accuse a man of treason and see him hanged for it if he does not go along with the assassination plan. Lincoln’s son Willie died at age 11. The shot and its path is described in detail, from its entry point, its path through his “wet brain matter” to its resting place “in Lincoln’s brain, behind his right eye.” Booth slices a man’s arm with his knife. He intended to kill the man, but was blocked. He waves his bloody knife about. The Secretary of State was in a carriage accident so bad that he was unrecognizable to his children. The blood that poured from his nose nearly suffocated him. A man is instructed to kill Powell either with a gun or a knife. Seward’s son is nearly shot in the face (a shot that would have “[burned] his flesh a hideous black”. A man hits another man with a pistol. The man who is hit is covered with blood. A man is struck in the forehead with a knife. A man’s cheek is cut open leaving the skin hanging from a flap and exposing his teeth and fractured jawbone. A man chokes on his own blood. A man is cut to the bone of his shoulder. Men fight. A woman slips in a puddle of blood. There’s a lot of blood. A man is cut deeply and can’t stop the flow of blood. Threats are issued to kill, hang, shoot or cut someone’s heart out. The president is examined for wounds. His hair is matted with blood. There is a plug of coagulated blood at the place the bullet entered, a doctor pulls the clot out to relieve pressure on the brain. The president’s throat is opened with a man’s fingers and his heart is pumped by pushing on his ribs. There is a plan to stab or shoot the vice president. The presidents blood and brain matter ooze onto a woman’s skirt. Another blood clot is removed from Lincoln’s head and more blood and brain matter ooze out onto a man’s fingers this time. A man was stabbed another had a crushed skull and another endured multiple stab wounds. A man arms himself with more guns. The presidents eyelids appear bruised because they are filled with blood. Doctors stick their unclean fingers into the hole in Lincoln’s head and into his brain. A man breaks his ankle. The men await Lincoln’s “death struggle” A child dies of diphtheria. Lincoln’s body is subjected to an autopsy despite the fact that cause of death is known. They cut open his brain with saws and knives. His body is drained of blood, which was then transferred to glass jars and preserved. Union soldiers are armed with cavalry sabers. A man shoots his horses and sinks them in quicksand. A man is armed with a pickax and contemplates swinging it to protect himself. A man threatens violence against those who will not help him. A gun is held to a man’s head. Soldiers threaten to burn a man’s property, including a barn where two people are hiding. A man has to choose between burning alive, blowing his brains out or giving himself up. He fears hanging. A man is shot; the bullet passed through his neck and spinal column paralyzing him. A man’s lips turned purple and his throat swelled and then he died. A man’s wife died. A woman dies of tuberculosis. Four people are hung. There is a photograph of their dead bodies hanging from the gallows. A man murders his wife using a gun and a knife.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Booth was drinking in a saloon. A woman has a country tavern. Whiskey is left for Booth. Booth has a drink immediately before the assassination. A man drinks before he is supposed to assassinate the vice president. A room smells of tobacco and whiskey. A man smokes a pipe.
Frightening or Intense Things –There’s an illustration showing the devil whispering in Booth’s ear. Lincoln’s coffin is described. A man went mad.
