Review: Lincoln’s Paramour by Devin K. Asante

A touching life-long love affair is at the heart of Devin K. Asante’s creative work of historical fiction, Lincoln’s Paramour.

Abraham “Abe” LaRue is the second son of James LaRue, a wealthy Kentucky land baron, and his second wife, Suzanne. He’s as different from his older brother, Aron, as chalk is to cheese, but has an idyllic childhood growing up on his large plantation where his best friend is Maisie, the daughter of his father’s older brother and his black slave mistress – until tragedy strikes and Abe’s father is killed by a bear.

His mother remarries a year later but the union also ends in tragedy when her new husband, Beau Pence, tries to kill Abe and viciously attacks Abe’s mother before being run off at shotgun point by Maisie. Abe’s mother dies shortly afterwards from her head injury, with Aron and Abe to be adopted by their mother’s sister, Sally Morgan Lincoln.

On the morning of the boys’ departure to Indiana, Aron runs away, taking Maisie, who he’s always wanted, with him. An ensuing search leads to a horrific discovery which soon has a heartbroken Abe leaving for a new life in Indiana that is to shape the very foundation of his future, both as a man and as a future president.

Lincoln’s Paramour is an affecting story, thanks to the life-long devotion of the two main protagonists, Abe Lincoln and Maisie Ford. Maisie finds in Abe a kindred spirit who battles for the underdog, while Maisie has backbone and isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Abe and Maisie together create an invincible force, but apart they are unable to be whole. Asante does a fine job conveying the complicated balance of their relationship and the depth of their feelings for one another during a volatile time in American history where the issue of slavery divided a nation and incited war.

Where the novel falters is relying too much on fiction and not enough on historical fact. Though the story is engaging in its own right, readers may want more factual basis to the story, and may even feel disappointed that the story is only loosely based on real events. As such, the novel reads something more like fan fiction using major historical figures than a true work of “historical fiction.” In the novel, Asante has created his own set of facts, from Lincoln’s childhood up to his marriage, and even the number of children he had. This unfortunately compromises the historical integrity of the story. Additionally, there is a lack of balance between description and dialogue, leaning far too much on “telling” rather than “showing,” which slows down the pace of the narrative.

That said, the novel is indeed engrossing and entertaining, just based on the story as told. If one approaches the novel as alternate history, rather than true history, the story is plenty enjoyable, with enough historical developments and settings to envelop the reader in the story. Overall, Lincoln’s Paramour is a poignant love story that puts a decidedly different spin on the well-documented life of one of America’s greatest presidents.