Gates Ouimette > Recent Status Updates

Cont’d from prior post -
...Intersections of 7+ Presidents - Garfield, Chester Arthur, Rutherford Hayes, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, via his son Todd.
...and as of little to remember, making them merely Of the time, Conkling and Bliss (as in ignorance is Bliss).
Well-played Ms. Millard, well-played.

This book weaves together famous names from the time and of the time.
From the time: Alexander Graham Bell and his medical inventions, one arising from his efforts to help save the President, one from a very personal tragedy and others which enabled Helen Keller to become Helen Keller. Joseph Lister (yes), creator/champion of antiseptic medical procedures.

Author writes about Giteau, Garfield’s future assassin, as the insane man he was; with him not realizing exactly how insane he really was...

So far, great book...I knew nothing of Garfield but at this early stage in the book, he could have been a giant of a President....

So far, so good... in grade school, one of my heroes was Alexander Hamilton. This book reminds me of his brilliance, his energy & his forcefulness. Great book to learn how the impact of your actions can cause polar opposites in emotion & reaction. Luckily Hamilton’s wife was there after his death to ensure those who didn’t agree with him didn’t tarnish his reputation & role in building America.

Good for historical background but challenging in trying to make it truly enjoyable to read. Not a "historical novel," which will focus on very specific character traits at the risk of deviation from actual events, but informative.