Fates and Traitors

by Jennifer Chiaverini

The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker returns with a riveting work of historical fiction following the notorious John Wilkes Booth and the four women who kept his perilous confidence.

John Wilkes Booth, the mercurial son of an acclaimed British stage actor and a Covent Garden flower girl, committed one of the most notorious acts in American history—the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The subject of more than a century of scholarship, speculation, and even obsession, Booth is often portrayed as a shadowy figure, a violent loner whose single murderous act made him the most hated man in America. Lost to history until now is the story of the four women whom he loved and who loved him in return: Mary Ann, the steadfast matriarch of the Booth family; Asia, his loyal sister and confidante; Lucy Lambert Hale, the senator’s daughter who adored Booth yet tragically misunderstood the intensity of his wrath; and Mary Surratt, the Confederate widow entrusted with the secrets of his vengeful plot.

Fates and Traitors brings to life pivotal actors—some willing, others unwitting—who made an indelible mark on the history of our nation. Chiaverini portrays not just a soul in turmoil but a country at the precipice of immense change.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Civil War, Historical, Adult, American History, Book Club

382 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. She has also written seven quilt pattern books inspired by her novels. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. About her historical fiction, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, "In addition to simply being fascinating stories, these novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years."

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit torn on this one, which is why I've put off reviewing it for so long. While it was a bit dull and flat at times, I enjoyed reading a fictional account of John Wilkes Booth and found the plot interesting. I just felt the execution, along with a bit more editing of filler material, could have made this so much better. Full review to come.

*Thanks Dutton for my copy!

[Carole (Carole's Random Life)]

DNF @ page 48

This book is just not for me. I am finding it rather dry with an over abundance of details. I was looking forward to a historical fiction novel but the way this book read reminds me more of a detail heavy biography. I could force myself to continue reading but I am just going to stop at this point since I am not enjoying it. I am sure that this book will have its audience but it didn't work for me.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look into the life of John Wilkes Booth and the people in his life. Honestly, I'd always thought of him as some sort of vengeful monster and thought nothing at all of the people in his life. This book wasn't always fast-paced, but it was so thought-provoking. I had no idea that his parents were immigrants who abhorred slavery. We often forget how the people who are close to notorious criminals are presumed to be guilty as well...and how they suffer with little sympathy in the aftermath of their loved ones crimes because of it.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes a writer of great skill to animate a man as notorious as John Wilkes Booth into a character so fascinating the reader can scarcely look away; Chiaverini has succeeded. I admit, I was not keen on reading a book about Booth, but Chiaverini’s use of the women around him to tell his story was brilliant.

Booth’s parents, his siblings, his love interests, and coconspirators are a cast like no other. Viewed from the present day, their bad choices clearly and obviously set them on a path of destruction, but Chiaverini demonstrates how such errors were made in their present time. She does not romanticize the traitors and is unflinching in her portrayal of them.

If many readers are like me, my knowledge of what happened ended with the assassination of Lincoln. The chapters following the terrible deed are every bit as shocking as those that preceded it. Though FATES AND TRAITORS is a novel, fans of the work of Erik Larson and Laura Hillenbrand will love how this story reveals so much more history than we thought we knew.

Breathless pacing, historical figures of enormous influence, and unspeakable acts of treason make FATES AND TRAITORS one of the most riveting works of historical fiction I’ve read so far this year. I give it my highest recommendation.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally surprised at the quality of this book. I picked it from the library’s recommendation shelf because I have done a lot of reading on John Wilkes Booth.

The total is a bit teasing about the women but it turned out to be an exceptional read. In that the story of John Wilkes Booth is told from the perspective of each of the women.

That’s a truly unique way of handling the story that one would seem to think has been told and retold, possibly, too many times.

Book is fast paced, easy to read, overall enjoyable.

I highly recommend

[Jody McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

John Wilkes Booth is a name everyone still knows today. He was the assassinator of President Abraham Lincoln. Whiles this is a story of that fateful day, it is also so much more. It tells the story of Wilkes' life from the perspective of the 4 women who knew him the best; his beloved mother, his adoring sister, his secret fiancé, and his co-conspirator.

Although it is a fictionalization of his life, the author really put a lot of research and facts into the story. This could be exactly what happened behind the scenes. Jennifer Chiaverini brings these characters to life, the way most history books fail to do. She does not take away the evil acts of John Wilkes Booth, but she reminds us all that he was also a man, who had a life and people who loved him.

She starts her story before Wilkes was even born, with his mother Mary Ann. Mary Ann was written as a mother who loved her son, her favorite son, to the point where she overlooked his flaws. She refused to see the man he was becoming, holding tight to the boy he was.

Next the story is picked up by his sister, Asia. Asia idolized her brother, and loved him even though she saw the path he was heading towards. Even after that fateful night, she still never stopped loving the brother she knew.

Lucy Hale is our third storyteller, and her story is one of romance and love. This was perhaps the most fictionalized portion of the story. Although, it was common knowledge that Wilkes was courting Lucy, most of this naïve love affair is based on rumors and conjectures. Still, it is completely plausible and gives us a different perspective of John Wilkes Booth.

Our last woman storyteller is Mary Surratt, the owner of the boardinghouse where Wilkes planned various traitorous acts. The author is able to make her a sympathetic character, even though she is a knowing participant in certain events.

The action of the assassination is told by Wilkes himself, whom by this time is not only a villian in your mind, but a man fighting for his beliefs, however zealous they might be.

The author wraps up the story beautifully, by alternating points of view to show the aftermath and the effects Wilkes' act brought onto others.

This is not just a story about a day in history, this is the story of a man's life and the lives of those he loved. It is an excellent book and will be adored not only by those who like historical novels, but also those who enjoy literary fiction. I recommend this book strongly, to everyone who knows that there is always two sides of every story.

[Roger Brunyate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Assassin and his Women

Go ahead, judge a book by its cover. The advance edition I obtained through Amazon Vine has the title in white against of dim monochrome photograph of John Wilkes Booth posing with a woman, I think his sister Asia. Half-covering the photo and intertwined with the lettering are sprigs of dogwood blossom in scarlet. It advertises as clear as anything that although this is a life of the famous actor ending shortly after his assassination of President Lincoln, it will be told through the vehicle of romance. Indeed, the back cover promises a portrait of…

…the four women whom he loved and who loved him in return: Mary Ann, the steadfast matriarch of the Booth family; Asia, his loyal sister and confidante; Lucy Lambert Hale, the senator's daughter who adored him yet tragically misunderstood the intensity of his wrath; and Mary Surratt, the Confederate widow entrusted with the secrets of his vengeful plot.

There will be a readership for this, I am sure, but I should have known that it was not for me. I ordered the book only because earlier this year I wrote the text for a short opera about Booth and his possible involvement in an earlier plot to kill Lincoln in Baltimore in 1861. That involved a romance too, I will admit. But it made it difficult for me to go from the compression of a twenty-minute drama to a four-hundred-page novel. The readers for whom Jennifer Chiaverini is really writing will not have this problem, and will probably enjoy her book.

[Eshadi Sharif]

DNF at 22%
Goodreads really needs a DNF option cause I'm torn between which shelf I should put it in.
It's not exactly a bad book but I'd rather say it's not my type of historical fiction. I wasn't loving the plot and I couldn't get myself to get further than 22% but I do plan on continuing in the future.

[Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a solid 3.5 or 3.75 stars if I could, so I went with four.

I would like all people who are capable of assassinating a president (or anyone for that matter) to have certain characteristics and a personality that would make them easily identifiable and even better, make it simple to prevent such a thing from happening because the general public could see it coming. That was completely not the case with John Wilkes Booth and it still blows my mind the kind of person I imagined he was (just from the very little I had heard of him) vs. the actual person he was in his short life. This was just an incredibly interesting book to me, especially the chapters of the family he grew up in.

My only complaints were that, at times, the amount of detail went on for a few too many pages and it felt laborious to read. In addition, being a historical fiction, I could have used different colors of font, where anything based on history would be easily apparent. If you can't tell, I like things in my life easy to identify and wrapped up in predictable packages. I'm pretty exciting to be around.

[Sarah Swann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Overall, I enjoyed this book. The history was interesting. I liked how each chapter (although they were incredibly long) focused on a woman in John Wilkes Booth's life. From his mother and sister to his accomplices and his true love. Each was different and I liked seeing how he interacted with them. There wasn't much as far as the assassination plot so I would have liked more of that. But it was enjoyable.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of John Wilkes Booth and his family, his secret fiance Lucy Hale and her family, and inn keeper Mary Surratt and her family, and how their lives intertwined with President Abraham Lincoln. A wonderfully told tale of one of the most notorious and important events in our history.

[Christine Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Jennifer Chiaverini about the infamous John Wilkes Booth. Reading about his childhood, maturity, and eventual assassination of President Lincoln was fascinating. I am a big fan of Civil War era historical fiction, and Chiaverini brings the period to life in exquisite detail.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Chiaverini, and Dutton for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book. I found myself searching the internet many times to learn more about the events, but the author did a really good job with her research. Not many people know much about John Wilkes Booth and his life leading up to Lincoln's assassination. We learn a lot about the people in his life and his love for Lucy. Although the dialogue is mostly fiction, I found it very relevant to the situations. The whole book was intriguing and kept my interest more than most historical fiction I have previously read.

[nikkia neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Thanks PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and netgalley for this ARC.

We all know the story but this book offers the perspective of all the players together plus Booth's family. This book made me think about what historical figures our future's children may read about in 100 years. Nothing stays hidden forever, but the understanding and empathy take time.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :)]

DNF I didn't rate this book as I didn't finish it. I just couldn't punish myself to plod along any more. So disappointing.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Some people are naturally charming; they are the center of every social group they touch. They are their Mother's favorite, as well as their sister's, the neighbor boy's, the teacher's and on and on. If they are made of hardy stuff they handle this adulation well and grow beyond it. If not, everything comes to them too easily and soon their every whim is made manifest. It is the latter example that is explored with great effect in "Fates and Traitors" a fictionalized account of John Wilkes Booth's life and penultimate deed. The author explores Booth's life mostly through the adulation of the girls and women surrounding him. While not a large number, they are a devoted crew, determined to stand by him even when he has been accused of assassination. Their lives are nearly destroyed in the process yet they remain startlingly incredulous about his actions. He remains, in their minds at least, too fine, handsome and gifted to have engaged in such low activity. This book is engaging and well worth reading for its exploration of the blind side of infatuation.
-Suzanne R.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical novel - so much Booth family information I was never aware of. It’s odd how things one experiences come up in books. I was reminded of my visit to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortuga where Dr Mudd was imprisoned and a tour of the Gamble Plantation in Bradenton, FL, home of Judah Benjamin.
Both were mentioned in Fates and Traitors. And of course have been to Ford’s Theater etc.

I have read all the quilt series by Ms Chiaverini and am enjoying her Lincoln books as well. She has a wonderful way with words!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a strong 2.5-star novel, but I was hoping for better -- did not finish after 100 pages. I felt like I was getting bored after the introduction, but Chiaverini's description of Booth's parents' swashbuckling, ocean-crossing affair was hard to put down. It's just too bad the that momentum feels like it grinds to a halt as she moves onto the other women in Booth's life.
"Fates and Traitors" is a historical novel/biography about John Wilkes Booth, but told from the point of view of the females in his life. The problem is, he's hardly a footnote in the first section told from his mother's point of view. In the second told from his sister, Asia's viewpoint, he's a background player. The development of his character is inconsistent and I'm starting to wonder who this book is really supposed to be about. I got bored. Chiaverini is a really good writer, and maybe if I was feeling a little less ADD this week, I'd continue with it, but I'm putting this one down for now. I have a big pile of books that just look way more enticing than this! Not sure if that makes me a bad reader, but I just can't make myself care that much about Lincoln's assassin right now.

[Elizabeth Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure how I feel about this. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. Some POVs were stronger than others and I think if this was a dual Lucy/Asia POV it would have been a more engaging book. I listened to the audiobook, and I enjoyed having it for company as I crocheted.

[Loren Boutin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading a book that was a class assignment. Not for fun

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was afraid that I would never get into the mood to read about such a villain. But as usual, Chiaverini draws the reader in and I was hooked on the story almost immediately. I learned so much about the Booth family (all northerners and abolitionists, btw, with the one exception) that this book has changed my view of the whole episode. It was a tragedy is so many ways, and involving so many people. The love story was quite unexpected, but added so much. I highly recommend this engrossing historical novel.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...the Fates with traitors do contrive."

"She could not have been the best, the noblest of mothers to have raised him to believe it could ever be right to shoot a man in the back of the head while he sat with his wife watching a play."

I liked this book SO very much. Told from the viewpoints of the four women closest to John Wilkes Booth, it's a compelling tale. I was fascinated to learn about Wilkes' family - how they loved him and endured the after effects of his heinous deed. How Shakespearean they were.

His mother, Mary Ann, who defied convention and ran away with her one true love, giving up her own family and her good name. As she holds Wilkes for the first time, she feels he is destined for greatness although "He's so small to bear the weight of such expectations...". To sister Asia, he is a trusted confidant and best friend yet "the brother she adored was a spy, a smuggler, a rebel, and each terrible word meant death." To Lucy Hale "inhaling deeply of his scent - tobacco smoke, cedar, and something else uniquely his," he is the dashing actor who steals her heart even as she knows that their relationship will never be accepted.

He was not at all a sympathetic character, however, nor was Mary Surratt. I admired Mary's strength and ability to care for herself in spite of an abusive husband ("...learned about husbands was that she was better off without one") and with no family other than her children, it's easy to see why she shelters a rebellion. With her strong beliefs in her Catholicism and the Southern cause, I was surprised when "Fighting to keep her own terror constrained, Mary was struck by the sharp, unexpected misgivings that she had ever welcomed Mr. Booth into her parlor."

No doubt, one of the best books I've read this year. A lovely surprise.

P. S. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 2 out of 5]

RATING: 2 STARS
(I received an ARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)

Jennifer Chiaverini is one writer I admire for her research ability. Sometimes I find that her facts and details overpower the story and make the character a bit wooden. I really did enjoyed Spymistress and Mrs. Lincoln's Rival. While I enjoy reading and learning about Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth is not a historical character I gravitate towards. Yet, I was exited to see Chiaverini's take on this moment of history and know more about Booth. I tried to read it at first, but couldn't get beyond the first chapter. I have enjoyed Chiaverini's novels on audio so put a hold on immediately. After who knows how many hours, days, pages, I had to give up (at 60%). It came to point I had not gotten another book in and was feeling restless and a bit resentful. It was written well, and is well researched. The story just too detailed to be fun. I am excited to read Ada Lovelace's story, the next Chiaverini's novel.

[Ginny Hawkenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, I really enjoyed it. This is the kind of book that I really enjoy most, a novelization of real, historical events with the real people that were involved. This is very well written overall, it did drag in a few spots and the storyline with John Surratt's sister seemed extraneous and unnecessary, and we got to know more about Lucy Hale and the Hale family than I felt was necessary although that did speak to the "slick" nature of John Wilkes Booth's character. Generally a fascinating look into a historic figure I have not given much thought to.

[Sarah Koehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cool read. It took off like a bat outta hell and was pretty quick-paced until the actual assassination happened. (Spoiler alert: Lincoln dies.) The story of each of the women who loved Booth and who showed him compassion and decency throughout his formative years was really fascinating. I guess I always assumed that Booth was this heinous villain, but after reading this, I actually sympathize with him a bit more. (Is that wrong?) Much like HH Holmes, Booth was brilliantly smart, handsome, romantic, charming, charismatic, and loyal. And yet — he was fiercely dedicated to the ideals of the Confederacy, despite the fact that EVERYONE who loved him (including friends and family) were supportive of Lincoln and the Union efforts to abolish slavery and unify America. Essentially, he WAS a patriot — just not for the side which most people would now consider to be the right one. He saw Lincoln as a tyrant rather than a Savior, and he legitimately believed that if the South lost, the nation would never recover economically from the abolishment of slavery. It’s easy to look at Booth in hindsight and through the eyes of the proverbial “Monday morning quarterback” and say he was crazy. But after reading this book, I think he was just caught up in what was agonizing politics of the era. The only thing to blame for his actions are essentially POSITIVE influences, and how is that even possible, right? He loves Virginia and its people because they embraced him so lovingly when he performed there. He loved the slower pace and genteel ways of Southerners. He respected a man’s right (whether it was right or wrong morally/ethically) to use a perfectly legal system of forced labor to become financially successful. Look, by no means am I saying that Booth was right to kill the president, but I AM saying that this book gives significant insight as to why he did it, and it also shows how absolutely shocked and saddened his own friends and family were to learn of his heinous act. He 100% blindsided those who loved him. Simply put, this book will resonate with ANYONE who has been hurt by someone they THOUGHT they knew. And who among us hasn’t experienced that kind of betrayal? Disclaimer: yes. I know. Of course not to that extent, but my point is clear, right?)

[Audrey Ashbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fates & Traitors follows the lives of the women in John Wilkes Booth's life. Mary Ann, his mother. Asia, his sister. Lucy Hale, with whom he had a secret engagement. Mary Surratt, a widow and Confederate sympathizer who allowed Booth and his fellow conspirators to meet in her boarding house. This novel was a great, interesting piece of historical fiction set in such a pivotal time in history involving the women who loved who would become the most hated man in America after his assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15th, 1865. 

Chiaverini writes beautifully and perfectly captured the tumultuous turn of events that unfolded in front of Mary Ann, Asia, Lucy and Mary and the horror of each as they realized their John Wilkes had committed such a henius act of murder- even Mary, Booth's confidante and the seemingly the only one of the four women who knew the extent of Booth's extreme hatred and "loyalty" to the south. 

I enjoyed all of the connections to Shakespeare's works and the parallels drawn from the play Julius Caesar- the Booth men were famous and successful actors (Junius, John's father, and Edwin, John's older brother, more than John himself) so that was fitting.

This was a fascinating novel and I enjoyed the perspectives of the women. I'll look for more Chiaverini to read in the future.

[Beverley Albright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I would give this book 2.5 stars as I am really in between it being just ok and liking it. I think I was misled by the synopsis of the book. Whoever wrote it either did not read the book or felt like they needed to play up the women in the book to sell it.

I loved historical fiction. The plotline of taking people of history and inserting fictional people or creating fictional conversations and relationships for the historical characters is one of the most interesting settings to be read.

However, this book was 90% history and 10% fiction. It was like reading a history book written in prose to make it a bit more relatable. I thought the book was going to be about the women in Booth's life and how they influenced him, but while they were included, it was plain to see that none of them influenced him at all. At least, not by this author's writings. He was brash, headstrong, narcissistic, and listened to no one but himself. He did what he wanted to do and everyone else be damned.

But I applaud Ms. Chiaverini's research and her attempt to show another facet to the facts of history. I just wish she had used her talent to create a few fictional characters to interact with Mr. Booth and not just have written what we already knew.

[Jennifer Krems · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a fluffy romance with a historical setting, this book is absolutely not for you.

What you will get from this book is a well researched novel that makes you really wonder how much of it is fiction.

The beginning is a bit slow to set up the background information, but stick with it. At the end, you can feel the characters anguish and heartbreak. I wouldn't say that this book humanizes John Wilkes Booth, at one time America's most hated man, but it brings to life what was happening to his friends and family behind the scenes.

It also sheds light on America in one of her most sorrowful times.

I recommend this book to any fan of history, or someone wanting to understand the time period. Jennifer Chiaverini does a wonderful job with such hard and trying subject matter.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was wordy. I didn't not enjoy it, but I'm definitely glad to have closed the cover. I didn't know much, or anything really, about John Wilkes Booth, besides the obvious. I liked how this novel told his history through the eyes of the women in his life, giving some background to the man that I did not have before. Most interesting to me was just how much his actions affected his family and friends, causing ruination for many in his life who were not guilty of anything besides being related to him. I felt sympathy for his mother, sister and brothers, who were abolitionists themselves and did not share in JWB's beliefs in the slightest. I'm glad I read this book if only to have a little more insight into arguably the most notorious murderer this country has ever seen.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and this book was just so well-written, and well-researched, that it fully deserves the very rare (for me) 5 star designation. I learned so much from this book that I did not know about the notorious John Wilkes Booth! I had no idea that his family were northerners who did not believe in slavery, for example. The author does a great job bringing Washington City & her inhabitants to life during a difficult and historic time. What a wonderful read!