Most know the story of how Abraham Lincoln was killed, but few know about Mary Surratt. Mary Surratt was the mother of Johnny, a man with close relations to John Wilkes Booth. Mrs. Surratt is a supporter of the Confederacy, but a mostly passive one as she prefers to keep quiet about such things. However, being passive doesn't mean being innocent. How much did Mary know about Booth's plan, and what lengths would she take to protect her son?

HANGING MARY follows the lives of two women who are rarely discussed, Mary Surratt and Nora Fitzpatrick. Both were often around John Wilkes Booth, but there is much speculation about how much the two knew about his assassination plans. Susan Higginbotham imagines their story during this time period with a multifaceted, though largely kind, light. Mary sympathizes with the Confederacy, Nora with the Union, but the two become like mother and daughter while Nora rents a room in Mary's household. Nora's relationship with Mary and Mary's daughter, Anna, is very sweet, and readers will easily sympathize with Nora as the deadly events unfold.

While the characterization is lovely and strong, the novel lacks a necessary tension. Mary and Nora are in the middle of a Confederate conspiracy, but the story rarely gives an expected edge. The assassination takes place around midway, but it's almost surprising it happens. Granted, Mary and Nora are supposed to be shocked, but there is little charge around them to keep the interest consistent. Nora's portions of the story have more tension to them than Mary's, as Nora is surrounded by Confederates when she herself supports the Union. Mary's discussion of her past feels more interesting than her present, which makes her eventual doom lack emotional depth.

Historical readers who love untold or rarely told sides of history should enjoy this familial take on Mary Surratt in HANGING MARY.

Book Summary

The untold story of Lincoln's Assassination

1864, Washington City. One has to be careful with talk of secession, of Confederate whispers falling on Northern ears. Better to speak only when in the company of the trustworthy. Like Mrs. Surratt.

A widow who runs a small boardinghouse on H Street, Mary Surratt isn't half as committed to the cause as her son, Johnny. If he's not delivering messages or escorting veiled spies, he's invited home men like John Wilkes Booth, the actor who is even more charming in person than he is on the stage.

But when President Lincoln is killed, the question of what Mary knew becomes more important than anything else. Was she a cold-blooded accomplice? Just how far would she go to help her son?

Based on the true case of Mary Surratt, Hanging Mary reveals the untold story of those on the other side of the assassin's gun.

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