Henry and Clara

Henry and Clara by Thomas Mallon is a well written historical fiction about a little known but heart-breakingly tragic couple. Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris would forever be known for sharing the theatre box with the Lincolns at Ford Theatre on the night of the President's assassination. Their backstory and woeful end is intriguing.

They were raised as step-siblings when Clara's father, Judge Harris, married Henry's mother, Pauline, widow of a Senator. Their combined families never melded well, but Clara, who was three years older, and Henry fell in love. Pauline Rathbone Harris, and Clara herself were very forward thinking and ambitious women who both enjoyed the political and social spotlight. They each tried to steer the careers of show more their husbands.

The author does a very good job of capturing the pre and post Civil years, the abolitionists, and the election of Lincoln. Overall, I felt Mallon excelled at providing just the right amount of background information on the war and politics of the era while building the story of the two intertwined families and lovers.

Neither protagonist is very sympathetic. Both have faults, but Clara is more in touch with herself than Henry who, early on, shows signs of a manic personality. His health is compromised and he is traumatized by his Civil War experiences.

Clara's friendship with Mrs. Lincoln allows us glimpses into their private lives, especially Mrs. Lincoln's mental fragility.

They each suffer from the horrific aftermath and mental strain of the assassination and escape by spending much of their time in Europe. Henry is a somewhat distant and feared parent to their three children and develops an unreasonable fear that Clara is unfaithful and will take the children and leave him.

The family wealth sustains them, although Henry makes bad investments and has no success finding meaningful employment. His increasingly odd and violent behaviour isolates the couple and Clara seeks out medical advice to no avail.

Finally, the tragedy comes to its violent conclusion in Germany when Henry murders Clara as she fears for her children's lives. Henry lives out his life in an asylum and his mental state continues to deteriorate until his death in 1911.

A strange and disturbing tale that adds depth and dimension to any Civil War or Lincoln enthusiast. I highly recommend this book. show less

Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris were recently engaged to be married, when they were invited to share the Presidential box with the Lincolns at Ford's Theater on the evening of Good Friday, 1865. Henry Rathbone - the son of the mayor of Albany, Jared L. Rathbone - had joined the Union Army in 1861 and fought in the Civil War, attaining the rank of Major very quickly.

Clara Harris - a wealthy socialite from Albany, New York - was a personal friend of Mary Todd Lincoln and the daughter of Senator Ira Harris of New York. By an unusual familial inter-connection, Clara was actually Henry's stepsister - as her father had married Henry's widowed mother, Pauline.

Henry Rathbone was sitting with Clara, next to the President and Mrs. Lincoln, when show more John Wilkes Booth entered the box and fatally shot the President. Henry immediately attempted to stop the assassin, but was stabbed in the arm during John Wilkes Booth's escape. Although he eventually recovered from his wound, Henry was mentally never the same.

He and Clara married on July 11, 1867 and had three children together. Their life together started out rather well and when Grover Cleveland became president, Henry was appointed the consul to Germany. His mental state had been precarious ever since he had returned from the Civil War; however, perhaps magnified by being present at the President's assassination, he was prone to fits of profound melancholia, hallucinations and delusions that people were trying to kill him.

Clara was beside herself. As her husband's mental health continued to deteriorate, she attempted to cover for his frequent mental lapses. She totally adored Henry and nourished her dream that with the proper help, he would eventually recover and they could resume their happy lives.

I really did enjoy this book, but I have to say that if I had one problem with the story, it would be that it covered the politics of the times. I found that I couldn't really keep all the characters straight in my mind. I truly felt sorry for Clara, Henry and their children because their lives were so horribly impacted by mental illness. I give this book an A+! show less

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 show more 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. show less

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.

I read this several years ago, and I still find myself thinking about it from time to time. An intimate view of the life of the Lincolns while in the White House from the perspective of friends/neighbors.

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

Historical fiction about the couple that were with Lincoln when he was killed. The war and that event ripped their lives apart. An interesting account.