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Fates and Traitors
Fates and Traitors: A Novel of John Wilkes Booth | Jennifer Chiaverini
27 posts | 19 read | 53 to read
Fates and Traitors is a novel about mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, the line between patriot and traitor, and the lengths we go to for love. A fascinating look at a slice of our countrys history, an incisive portrait of obsession, and overall impossible to put down. --Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of At the Waters Edge and Water for Elephants The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincolns 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 historythe 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 senators 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 actorssome willing, others unwittingwho 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. From the Hardcover edition.
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review
Rachel.Rencher
Panpan

I had such high hopes for this book! I read historical fiction because I love how it pulls me in, and I just didn't get it from Fates and Traitors. I'm not sure if it was her writing style or the story itself, but I just found it boring and underwhelming. 😕

Lucas.Rencher So sad it could have been a contender 😯 6y
63 likes1 comment
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Rachel.Rencher
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This book has been on my TBR list since I bought it at The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d' Alene about a year ago. I'm so excited to finally read it! And can we appreciate the cover for just a second 😍

Lucas.Rencher It's such a pretty book I'm glad that you're giving it some use! 😙 6y
MayginReads Ooo, I'm so intrigued! 6y
Rachel.Rencher @MayginReads I know you love historical fiction! I'm only a little bit into this one and love it already. 😊 6y
See All 7 Comments
MayginReads Okay, it's moving up the TBR. Have you read her one about Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker? I'm fascinated by the Lincolns (I share Abe's birthday), but haven't known if it was worth the read. 6y
MayginReads Sorry, I forget I can tag! 6y
Rachel.Rencher @MayginReads Oh, no I didn't know about it! I put it on my TBR. 😊I just finished reading all about the Kennedys, so my next logical obsession must be the Lincolns right? 😂 6y
Kaye Sounds good. Will be watching for your review. 👍 6y
85 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNLunch! #ThePoconoBookClub edition ???????!!! We had a good-sized group for today. Accompaniment this warm and sunny day was: a grilled asiago-gruyére-cheddar sandwich, baked cheddar-parmesan-asiago mac 'n cheese with bacon and bread crumbs, and Earl Grey tea. MMmmm ?! Happy reads & happy eats! ??? (The soup in the background was eggplant tomato with parmesan. It was said to be delicious! ?)

Eggs Fates and Taters?? 7y
MrBook @Eggs 😆👏🏻 7y
Tillie I am so hungry... 7y
TheBookStacker That sandwich 😍 7y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 7y
114 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this cool and moist full moon night: angus burgers, TATER TOTS, steakhouse green beans, and Vanilla Coke. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats 😎👌🏻! #mrbooktotpics

Reecaspieces I saved this link for you....I think you will die for it!! https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156063633258761&id=225525523760 7y
Reecaspieces Let me know if you make it!! 7y
dragondrool I've been munching a lot more tots since I've joined Litsy and had you to remind me often of their gloriousness. 😊 7y
See All 7 Comments
StacksNShelves I read the title as Fates and Taters. 😭😂 7y
MrBook @Reecaspieces I'll only make it as a last meal and testament 😂👏🏻🙌🏻! @dragondrool 😂👏🏻👌🏻!! @StacksNShelves I can't blame you for envisioning such glories 😎👍🏻👍🏻. 7y
WarpedSweetness Mmm, I love vanilla Coke. I really miss it. 7y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 7y
104 likes1 stack add7 comments
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MelanieMefford
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Next up! This one is for the Read Harder Challenge. Because of the cover. Isn't it gorgeous?!

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Luv2readbookz
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I accidentally knocked her table sign over and she laughed and said that now I have to get her book. No problem (it was on my list anyway). 😄📚

CoverToCoverGirl What a happy accident! 😯😃 7y
34 likes1 comment
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ReadingSusan
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Pickpick

Wow this book was so good. It's interesting how you know how the story ends but you still get so caught up in everything.

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BittersweetBooks
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Let the holiday festivities begin...📚🎄 #bookhaul #holidaybreak #toread

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allisoncc
Pickpick

I enjoyed this book, but it took forever to read it for some reason.

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Pickpick

Another between 3 and 3.5 stars. 🌟🌟🌟 This was an interesting story about John Wilkes Booth - assassin of President Lincoln - told from the perspective of the women in his life. I liked the story structure- the perspectives but some of this was drawn out and boring. The end is very good - the story of how Booth destroyed his family because of the shame he brought to their name.

47 likes1 stack add
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EvieBee
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The #librarystack #bookstack as of today. Hoping to get to GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT next week. Happy Friday!

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allisoncc
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For some reason this book has been a slow read. It's good though! I like the changing perspectives over time. #booth #historicalfiction #abrahamlincoln

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Once I'm done Swimming Lessons, I'll be reading Fates and Traitors.

OffTheBeatenShelf.com Every time I see this cover my first thought is "Fates And Furies got a new cover?!" Then it hits me. 7y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders @OffTheBeatenShelf.com ha! I know! Same thing. And Fates and Furies comes up first every time in a search! 😀 7y
Lupita.Reads This is on my list- what do you think so far? 7y
See All 7 Comments
Penny_LiteraryHoarders I'm going to start it after this other easy I have in the go, but crossing fingers it's going to be good! Will keep you in the loop @Lupita.Reads 😄😄 7y
Lupita.Reads Thank you so much! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 7y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders What in the world did I type?? @Lupita.Reads it's supposed to have said "this other book I have in the go"... I don't know what that other stuff means! ? 7y
Lupita.Reads My brain seemed to have made sense of it lol that's what I thought you said. Bookworms get each other 😉 7y
54 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Lucylovesreading
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Mehso-so

A fictional retelling of John Wilkes booth through the eyes of the 4 woman that cared for him most.
This book kept going from exciting to boring and for me didn't really pick up consistently until Mary's chapter which is almost halfway into the book. I found that once the assassination was in motion I couldn't put the book down. Also the after effects of what Wilkes did on his family and these woman were particularly interesting.
3⭐️'s

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Lucylovesreading
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"'My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself'"..."'because it is an enemy to thee.'"

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Bookish_B
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Pickpick

The story of John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of president Lincoln as told from the perspective of the women in Wilkes's life. I read it. I enjoyed it. Made me realize how little I knew about Booth's family and background (and it was interesting in and of itself). And I like the cover. That's all I've got! 😳

JillD Very pretty photo! 🌹 7y
ReadingSusan Ahhh I saw this at the library today and almost grabbed it. 7y
52 likes12 stack adds2 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Dinner date with @WanderingBookaneer -- yummy pasta with shrimp, cold beer, good book, and great company! #bookndinner

Alfoster Looks delicious!! 7y
brilliantglow That pasta sure looks tasty! 7y
erinreads Enjoyed this book! 7y
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Faibka That looks delicious! 7y
Bookzombie That looks yummy! 7y
Cortg I love that you always have a 🍺 7y
BethFishReads I'm curious about this one 7y
audiothing Good looking plate of tucker there 😋 7y
ApoptyGina69 Angel hair with shrimp is a favorite of mine! Just tried a new seasonal beer tonight: Ballast Point "Pumpkin Down" (from San Diego, CA) Scottish Ale with touch of fall flavor. It's good! 7y
MrBook MMMMMMMM!!!!!! 😋😎👌🏻👏🏻🙌🏻!!!!! Love this whole beautiful combination! 7y
167 likes6 stack adds10 comments
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Bookish_B
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Sometimes you read something that's surprisingly relevant to what's happening in real life.

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AmyAgentBor
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Mehso-so

Romanticized view of the murderer behind Abraham Lincoln's death. I did like his mother's perspective.

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jrepman
Pickpick

Outstanding historical fiction told from the point of view of voices and perspectives that were new to me.

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erinreads
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Pickpick

You won't learn anything new about the Lincoln assassination if you've read up on it before, but this puts the people and events surrounding John Wilkes Booth and the assassination into a novel format and creates the story for you, which was pretty neat. The one thing I really loved was reading about Lucy Hale, who was the senator's daughter secretly engaged to Booth at the time of the assassination, as I didn't really know much about her before.

29 likes1 stack add
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erinreads
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Ughhhhhh. I haven't finished a book in a week and a half now and I'm only 200 pages into this one. I'm enjoying it but it's taking forever. Now I'm trying to get some reading in, but my mom is at the Nationals game and wants me to watch for her on TV and is harassing me via text to find her. Mothers.

Ruri_kaichou Priorities, mom!! 8y
30 likes2 comments
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erinreads
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I used to live a couple miles from the Surratt house in Maryland (not the boarding house in DC) and the story they tell there is that Mary Surratt was 100% innocent and had no knowledge of the plans to assassinate Lincoln. After I got older and started doing my own research, it's a little hard to believe she had NO knowledge of it, so I don't buy their argument. I'm always so interested to read other takes on Surratt's (non)involvement.

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erinreads
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Picked this up at the library yesterday! I have a small fascination with the Lincoln assassination and try to read most things about it and the people involved, so this novel about John Wilkes Booth should be interesting! Temporarily putting Heir of Fire on hold this morning so I can kick off #HelloOctober with this one.

LeahBergen I want to read this, too. I became a little obsessed myself after reading 8y
37 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Bookish_B
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Just had a birthday. I guess I'm pretty easy to shop for 😁 So excited for all of these!

Lola Happy birthday! Enjoy the spoils :) 8y
ValerieAndBooks Happy birthday 🎂📚! 8y
Jenshootsweddings Happy birthday!! 🍰🎉📚 8y
See All 15 Comments
Amandajoy Happy birthday! Awesome loot you got! 8y
Godmotherx5 Fun gifts. Continue the celebration 🎉 8y
Sue Happy birthday!! 🎂🎉 8y
BookishMarginalia 🎊🎂🍰🎊🎂🍰 8y
DebinHawaii Some great gifts! Happy Birthday! 🎉🎈😀 8y
britt_brooke Happy Birthday! 🎈 8y
Baileeandme Happy Birthday! 🎉🎂 8y
BillKathyWms HaPpY BiRthDaY! Books are the best gifts!! 🎂📚🎉 8y
Eyelit 🎈🎁🎉 8y
Hazel0303 I had Fates and Furies in my hand at the library today, but passed bc it is a 7 day checkout. I need a little more time these days...excited to see what you think!! 8y
Hazel0303 And happy birthday!! 8y
54 likes15 comments
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Librarylady
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Pickpick

Love this book about John Wilkes Booth's life. Although a work of fiction, Chiaverini has done a ton of research to provide readers with an accurate depiction of the man who killed Abraham Lincoln. Chiaverini focuses on four women close to Booth: his sister Asia, his mother, his fiancée, and the woman who owned the tavern where the plot to assassinate Lincoln was hatched.

[DELETED] 2232195534 Sounds good! 8y
Dorielvsbooks Wow I couldn't get into this one, disappointed 8y
15 likes2 comments