Ulysses S. Grant and his wife were supposed to accompany President and Mrs. Lincoln to Ford's Theater on Good Friday, 1865, but they backed out at the last minute. So did several others, including the Lincoln's son Robert. So the 2 tickets went to Clara Harris and Henry Rathbone, a newly engaged couple that were also, somewhat controversially, step-siblings. I never knew that the Lincolns had company in the box that night, so certainly did not know of their somewhat odd past and tragic future. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, though as true historical figures much of their story can be easily found online. Suffice it to say that the repercussions of the assassination are great for Henry and Clara and felt for years to come.

As far as the book is concerned, I found the general plot to be enjoyable and the characters to be well drawn. While some political discussion was necessary due to the Harris and Rathbone families’ involvement in Washington, I found that some of the discourse and philosophy was excessive in relation to the grand scheme of the book. Less of this and more plot would have improved this book greatly, at least for me. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Lincoln's life and times, as I have never seen him through the eyes of people so familiar with him, but I would advise skimming some paragraphs so as not to get bogged down. ( )

Fascinating imagining of a real-life couple who were involved in one of the most important events in American history - the assassination of Lincoln. What brought them to that place and what happened to them afterwards. ( )

The masterfully-crafted story of those who were attended the theater with the Lincolns. ( )