Vinnie and the Flag-Tree; A novel of the Civil War in Southern Illinois--America's Egypt, by Mabel Thompson Rauch. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, [1959.] 149p.

In frontier southern Illinois, Vinnie Rendleman, at sixteen, is considered a woman. When, early in the Civil War, an epidemic of measles breaks out among the Union ranks, Vinnie leaves her North Pass (Makanda) home to work as a nurse in the army hospital in Cairo. While in Cairo, Vinnie marries Theodore Thompson, her childhood sweetheart, and returns to North Pass to await the day when the war will end and her husband will return to her. Vinnie's life from 1861 to 1865 is not uneventful, for in the course of daily routine she managers to foil a plot by the Knights of the Golden Circle to dynamite an Illinois Central troop train, she produces her first child, and she helps her younger sister elope with a Confederate soldier, without making the adventures appear out of the ordinary. Vinnie and the Flag-Tree is a fictionalized biography of the author's parents, containing a wealth of regional history, including personal views of General John A. Logan and his wife and an excellent description of the first Memorial Day celebration held in Carbondale's Woodlawn Cemetery on May 30, 1868.

Book Review Digest, 1959, p. 826.

The Sun Maid; A Story of Fort Dearborn, by Evelyn Raymond. Author of "The Little Lady of the Horse," Etc. New York: E. P. Dutton & Company; 31 West Twenty-third St[reet, 1900.] 326p.

See No. 65.

Hope of Earth, by Margaret Lee Runbeck. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company; The Riverside Press Cambridge, [1947.] 503p.

Stephen Phelps of Philadelphia stands to inherit the Phelps family fortune until the financial crisis of 1837 wreaks havoc with the personal wealth and holdings of old Tobias Phelps. Embittered by the old man's legacy--a well used Bible, a personal journal, and a profound expression of faith in the future of America--Stephen, with his wife Amoret, moves to the Illinois frontier with few assets other than his wife's faith and his own will to succeed. Hope of Earth spans some twenty years in the Phelps' life together--twenty years in which they adapt to the rigors of the frontier, raise a family in an atmosphere of work and hope, and regain much of the fortune lost in the early days. Of major importance to the development of the plot is Stephen's eventual understanding and appreciation of old Tobias' legacy. But of equal importance to the reader is the excellent portrayal of regional development during a time of unprecedented growth in Illinois history.

Book Review Digest, 1947, p. 777.

Claudine Lavalle; or, The First Convict [and] The Mormoness; or, The Trials of Mary Maverick, by Professor John Russell, of Bluffdale. Alton: Courier Steam Press Print, 1853. 89p.

The Mormoness is a narrative which rings true in spite of the author's reliance on fate to work out a conclusion. Set in Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma territory in the 1830s, the novel relates the story of Mary Maverick, who joins the Mormons in fulfillment of a promise made to her husband while he is ill and hovering near death. Soon after Mary joins the church, she and James, her husband, abandon their prosperous farm at Sixteen Mile Prairie, in Greene County, Illinois, to join Joseph Smith and his followers in building the new Zion at Far West, Missouri. Never a true believer until she experiences the persecution of the Mormons at Far West. Mary becomes a staunch Mormoness after witnessing the brutal murder of her husband and son at the Haun's Mill massacre, and returns to Illinois to help in the building of Nauvoo. From there, she returns to Sixteen Mile Prairie temporarily then moves on to St. Louis and finally into Indian territory where she is revered by the natives for her work in education and medicine. It is here that Mary dies, in her late 20s, after a strenuous and heartrending encounter with her son's murderer.

Going to Mill, by John Russell. Author of "The Serpent Uncoiled," "Little Granite," "Alice Wade," Etc., Etc. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society; 530 Arch Street, [1858.] 90p.

Going to Mill is a story within a story, told on Christmas Day, 1857, to illustrate the proverb: ''Do a kind act to any living being, and sooner or later you will meet your reward." Related by Richard Coleman to encourage his nephew to be generous with a Christmas gift, the story tells of a good deed done for a small boy and the happy consequences of the deed several years later. Going to Mill is obviously a novel with a message; and the message is belabored to the point of tediousness. The setting is central Illinois near the Illinois River.

Lake Front, [by] Ruth Russell. Wood Cuts by Ruth Kellogg. Chicago: Thomas S. Rockwell Company, 1931. 291p.

From the virgin territory explored by saintly Pere Marquette to a modern crime-ridden metropolis Chicago is described in scenes that document moments in the city's burgeoning growth while condemning its decaying morality. The major part of the novel concerns two generations of an Irish family between 1835 and 1894, but the prologue and epilogue extend the time frame and accentuate the depressing theme. Jane O'Mara arrives in Chicago as a young girl in 1835, thrilled with the thought that everyone will be equal in this new settlement. Her own happiness is brief, but she strives to insure the best opportunities for her younger brother James, who becomes a lawyer of great integrity. His untimely death in the Civil War leaves a promise unfulfilled, and his son, growing up with confused values, becomes the ruthless industrial tyrant so abhorent to the ideals of his father and his aunt. Although the author is successful in touching several historical bases with a thin story, some effectiveness is lost through her unsuccessful attempts to produce vivid imagery.

Book Review Digest, 1931, p. 929.

Comes an Echo on the Breeze, by Edward J. Ryan. New York: The Exposition Press, [1949.] 202p.

The story of Abraham Lincoln's brief stint in the military during the Black Hawk War is recounted in far more detail than most Lincoln biographers accord the minor episode. Lincoln's reasons for enlisting, his election to captain of the sixty-eight New Salem volunteers, meetings with Jefferson Davis and Zachary Taylor, the folly of Stillman's Run, and the action at Dixon's Ferry are told in glowing detail liberally sprinkled with examples of Lincoln wit and lore. The Indian point of view is also represented by the author, although the way that it is included seems strained and out of keeping with the novel. Still, Ryan has successfully captured the flavor of the times and the spirit of the youthful Abe Lincoln. Book Review Digest, 1949, p. 797.

Joseph's City Beautiful; A Story of "Old Nauvoo" on the Mississippi, by Mabel Adelina Sanford. Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, [1939.] 207p.

The story of an English family who join the Mormon Church and journey to America is superimposed onto a history of the city of Nauvoo. The city is described at the peak of its growth, and also at various times during the years following the Mormon exodus. Historical events added to the sparse story line include the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, the murder of Joseph Smith, the removal of thousands of Mormons from Nauvoo, the establishment and demise of the Icarian settlement there, and the return from Utah of some of the disillusioned followers of Brigham Young in response to young Joseph Smith's call for reunification under the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Although the book is essentially a novel, many pages of historical information are written in an expository style. Thus, in spite of the author's efforts to paint a more complete picture of Nauvoo than will be found in other Mormon stories, the city and characters never really come to life.

To Span a Continent, by Winnie Crandall Saunders. Illustrated by Anne Merriman Peck. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1965. 299p.

Lydia Black is born in 1840, soon after her family settles on the Illinois prairies, and the circumstances surrounding her birth create a rift between family members which drives her grandfather, Amos Allen, to desert the family in anger and despair. As Lydia grows up in the home of an uncle, she becomes painfully aware of her parentless state, and makes a vow to her grandmother that she will someday find her grandfather and make peace with him. Ultimately, Lydia keeps her promise, but her quest leads her from Illinois to Minnesota to Oregon during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Lydia's story is bound inseparably with the story of the settlement of Illinois and Minnesota, Midwestern politics and the influence of Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and the expansion of the far Northwest. Yet, the novel lacks both the attention to minute detail required for credibility and the vital spark necessary to make the characters come alive.

Kirkus, 6/1/1965, p. 543.Library Journal, 10/1/1965, p. 4112.

And from Such Men; A Historical Novel of the Years 1830 to 1880, by Virginia G. Scott. Philadelphia: Dorrance & Company, [1973.] 192p.

Charles F. Gill's years on earth (1829-1897) covered one of the most exciting periods in American history; and, similar to other Americans, Charlie made a point of being around when events of importance were occurring. Fortunately, his great-granddaughter, Virginia Scott, became interested in his life, did extensive research, and wrote her ancestor's story just as he might have recalled it while reminiscing in his rocking chair. Since most of his years were spent in Illinois, in Warsaw and LaHarpe, or riverboating on the Mississippi, this is a fictionalized history of America told from the point of view of an Illinoisan; and it covers the westward expansion, the gold rush, and the Civil War, as well as many less prominent but equally telling moments in those struggling years that brought strength and a measure of maturity to the nation and to this proud son. Although the telling of the story is occasionally awkward, the story itself more than compensates, for it is intimate as well as historical, and convincingly real, just as Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Charlie Gill were real.

Quincy Herald-Whig, 10/7/1973, p. 6-F.

Look to the Rose, A Novel by Shirley Seifert. Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, [1960.] 382p.

The life of Eleanor Lytle Kinzie, granddaughter of the founder of Chicago, is the basis for this biographical novel of the pre-Civil War and Civil War eras. Engaged to Williaun Washington Gordon, of Savannah, Georgia, Eleanor (Nelly) is forced to endure three long years of waiting while her Willy establishes himself in the cotton business and proves himself capable of supporting a wife. This task completed, the marriage is hardly begun when Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States, and Georgia secedes from the Union. Nelly spends the war years in Savannah and Richmond; consequently, her story represents the southern point of view. However, with the help of General William T. Sherman of the Union forces, she escapes to Chicago when Savannah is occupied, to await the end of the war and her husband's return to the family home. Ms. Seifert has done her homework well, for she paints vivid pictures of Chicago and Savannah during the 1850s and 1860s, and re-creates authentically the social scenes and the life styles of the elite in both cities. Yet, Look to the Rose is not a successful novel, for despite the author's attention to historic detail, her characters are pedestrian, accomplishing little that could not have been done equally well by any pretty debutante and dashing southern gentleman.

The Senator's Lady, [by] Shirley Seifert. Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, [1967.] 377p.

Making full use of the meager store of information concerning Addie Cutts Douglas, Shirley Seifert has created a creditable interpretation of the life and character of the second wife of one of Illinois' most influential and colorful citizens. Much in the foreground are Senator Stephen A. Douglas' fight in the Senate over the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the famous Dred Scott case, and his debates with Abraham Lincoln. But this is Addie Douglas' story, and her husband's political activities, while influential, take second place to their private life. Their courtship, marriage, the loss of their two infants, Addie's staunch devotion to Douglas' two sons by a former wife, the thrill of life in Washington during the 1850s, and the behind-the-scenes excitement of the campaign trail in Illinois--these are the things of which this novel is made. Ms. Seifert's account of the wilds of Illinois in the 1850s is spellbinding, and of special interest is her less-than-heroic depiction of Lincoln.

Best Sellers, 8/1/1967, p. 173-4.Books Today, 8/13/1967, p. 14. Kirkus, 5/15/1967, p. 620. Library Journal, 6/15/1967, p. 2434. Publishers Weekly, 5/15/1967, p. 40.

The Grey Gander, by John Jones Sharon. New York: Duffield & Company, 1925. 311p.

The Grey Gander is a romance of the middle years of the nineteenth century replete with elaborate style and contrivance, unexpected moonlight encounters, and well-timed coincidence. The young hero and his adversary, the mysterious blackguard, Grey Gander, both come under the spell of Leontine Chauvelet, dazzlingly beautiful and notably willful belle of St. Louis. The action takes place in and around Hardin, Illinois, and St. Louis, and includes good descriptions of travel on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Book Review Digest, 1925, p. 638.

Gathered Thistles; or, A Story of Two Households, by S. Elizabeth Sisson. Fremont, Neb[raska:] Hammond Brothers, 1897. 275p.

Two newlywed couples, Rachel and John Stevenson and Margaret and William Newton, leave their New England homes in 1843, to settle in the growing community of Burton, on the Illinois River. Early in their marriage, the Stevensons pledge their hearts to the church, while the Newtons pay only superficial attention to their faith. As they live and rear their families, their opposing religious convictions are reflected in the lives of the children. The Stevenson children grow into happy, upright citizens; the Newtons become the victims of misfortune and disaster, supporting the author's thesis that "Man cannot gather grapes from planted thistles." Evidence in the text of the novel indicates that the locale, called Burton for the sake of anonymity, is really the city of Ottawa, Illinois.

Timbers for the Temple; A Story of Old Nauvoo in Days of Her Glory, by Elbert A. Smith. Illustrations from Photographs. Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1922. 302p.

The author, a grandson of Joseph Smith, explains in the introductory material that he has taken a few liberties with historical dates, presumably to enhance the effectiveness of this sentimental story of the early days of Nauvoo. The story involves two brothers, modeled by the author after Joseph Smith's sons, David Hyrum and Frederick. A fictitious romance develops between the elder brother and Mildred, a young orphan who has made her home in the Smith household since the Mormon massacre at Far West, Missouri, some years before. Interwoven are important events in the history of the church, including the death of Joseph Smith, the development of the schism which results in Brigham Young's leadership and departure from Nauvoo with a large group of Mormons, and the advent of young Joseph Smith as the new president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Excerpts from Joseph Smith's diary and other memoirs introduce many chapters, and the author relies heavily on long passages from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other religious and historical accounts, which are incorporated into the text in an arbitrary manner.

Root, Hog, and Die, [by] George Dixon Snell. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1936. 418p.

Jim Brent joins the Mormon crusade as a youth in the 1830s, and moves with the tide to Ohio, Illinois, and finally Utah. Blessed with a penchant for the mystic, Jim finds Mormonism easy to accept in spite of its early anomalies, and he eventually becomes a pillar of the church. Jim Brent becomes, in fact, an anomaly himself; for despite his professed beliefs in equality, freedom, and opportunity, he amasses a fortune in the course of his lifetime by exploiting the less fortunate in the Mormon community for his own ends--but always in the name of the church. The author, himself a Mormon, has a solid background in church history, custom, and lore on which he draws for the setting of his novel. He also has a valid theme which casts new light on the development of the church and the leaders within. However, the major fault of the book lies in its scope. Snell has attempted to cover Mormonism from its beginnings to around 1900, and as a result, covers nothing well. How much better the novel might have been had he omitted the cursory treatment given the persecutions in Kirtland, Ohio; the extermination order in Far West, Missouri, and the lynching of Joseph Smith near Nauvoo, and picked up his hero in Utah, concentrating on creating a character and an era rather than an extended cross-country jaunt.

Book Review Digest, 1937, p. 914.

A Little Lower Than the Angels, by Virginia Sorensen. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1942. 427p.

The years from 1840 to 1846 were turbulent ones for the youthful state of Illinois, aggravated by, if not directly the result of, the Mormon migration to Nauvoo and the surrounding area. Driven out of Missouri by an exterminating order signed by Governor Boggs and enforced by state militia and vigilante groups, Joseph Smith and his Mormon followers obtained a charter from the State of Illinois for a city to be built on the east bank of the Mississippi River. Between 1840 and 1846, Nauvoo grew into a thriving metropolis of 20,000 people, the largest city in the state. But as in Ohio and Missouri, religious zeal and political pressures began to alienate neighbors, until again hate and distrust begat persecution which ended with the death of the prophet Joseph Smith and the removal of the Mormons to the Utah territory. Within this historic framework, Virginia Sorensen tells the story of Simon and Mercy Baker, who move to Nauvoo in its early days and settle down to live and raise their family in peace. But peace is not their lot. Child bearing takes its toll on Mercy, and soon a second wife, Chariot, is brought into the household. The hurt and confusion of Mercy and her children are compounded by the persecution, pillage, and terrorism of the Gentile neighbors and the knowledge that again the family must move to preserve a religious faith that many are beginning to question. Virginia Sorenson, who claims to be a direct descendent of one of the original Mormon families of Nauvoo, has accurately captured the flavor of the times, presenting not only historical fact but the anguish of thousands who suffer for the acts of a few zealots. If any adverse criticism is made of A Little Lower Than the Angels, it will be of the author's treatment of the character of Joseph Smith.

Book Review Digest, 1942, p. 720-1.

The Drums of Morning. [by] Philip Van Doren Stern. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1942. 627p.

A best seller in the early 1940s, this novel of the Abolitionist movement is an outstanding work of historical fiction. The hero, Jonathan Bradford, is the orphaned son of a carpenter who dies with Elijah Lovejoy in a vain attempt to protect the Abolitionist press in Alton, Illinois, in 1837. Book one, which is set in Illinois, describes the raid on Lovejoy's press by a drunken mob, Bradford's funeral, and Jonathan's adoption by a Jacksonville family. The remaining six books and epilogue provide an abundance of romance and adventure as Jonathan fulfills his childhood vow to fight slavery and carries his cause through the eastern and southern states from 1852 to 1865. Eight pages describing the bibliographic sources used by the author follow the text.

Book Review Digest, 1942, p. 737-8.

The Soul's Fire, by Jeremiah Stokes. Los Angeles, New York [and] San Francisco: Suttonhouse Ltd., 1936. 291p.

A subjective, fictionalized history of the Mormon Church, The Soul's Fire covers the groups arduous trek from New York, first to Kirtland. Ohio, and Independence, Missouri, then to Nauvoo, Illinois, and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. The story of a group of converts from England is also included. Only about one-fifth of the book is set in Illinois, but this part concerns an important though shameful part of Illinois history. Driven out of Missouri, the Saints move to Quincy, and, under the leadership of their prophet Joseph Smith, build a new city a few miles north on the Mississippi River. But soon more crises occur: There are threats from neighboring Gentiles, as well as problems of dissension within the Church. When an illegal warrant is served on Smith, he decides to surrender peaceably and hope for a fair trial, but he and other church leaders are killed by a mob while imprisoned in the Carthage jail, partly through the duplicity of the jailkeepers and other officials.

N. Y. Herald Tribune Books, 7/4/1937, p. 8.

Love Is Eternal; A Novel About Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln, by Irving Stone. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1954. 468p.

The marriage of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln is brought to life in a substantial, authoritative, and sometimes overwhelming novel based on careful scrutiny of virtually all existing Lincolniana. From their first meeting until Lincoln's death some twenty-five years later, Mary Todd seems a force around which crises revolve. Lincoln's early political defeats; the death of their son, Edward; the Todd family feuds; the struggle for election to the presidency; the emotional trauma of the Civil War; death of a second son; hate and slander by both northern and southern sympathizers; and the assassination of her husband take their toll on the mind if not the spirit of the woman. Stone here presents Mary Todd Lincoln as a sensitive, loyal, intelligent, capable, and ever-present force behind her sometimes less-than-godlike husband. Many historians take exception to this interpretation. Whether right or wrong, the life of the Lincolns is presented with a candidness and warmth that few historians have achieved. Love Is Eternal warrants a prominent place on any Lincoln bookshelf.

Book Review Digest, 1954, p. 851-2.

He Knew Lincoln, by Ida M. Tarbell. Author of "Life of Abraham Lincoln." New York: McClure, Phillips & Co., MCMVII. 40p.

Bill Brown, a Springfield storekeeper during Lincoln's sojourn in that city, recalls fondly the man and his ways. Composed of scraps of Lincolniana, the short, fictionalized character study takes the form of a monologue covering the time from Lincoln's arrival in Springfield until his sorrowful return in death. Among Bill Brown's humorous recollections are some of Mr. Lincoln's antics in the courtroom; a touching visit by old Aunt Sally Lowdy, a friend from his New Salem days; and the courting of such great men as Horace Greeley during the presidential campaign of 1861. But the highlight of the novel is the story of Bill's trip to Washington just to visit his friend, the President, which serves as a beautiful and poignant reminder that, for all his wisdom and strength of character, Abraham Lincoln was, first of all, a man.

Book Review Digest, 1907, p. 430.

Steamboat on the River, A Novel by Darwin Teilhet. With drawings by John O'Hare Cosgrave II. [New York:] William Sloane Associates, [1952.] 256p.

The Sangamon River was considered unnavigable by any vessels but keelboats until 1832, when a Cincinnati steamboat builder designed and constructed a sternwheeler small, light, and powerful enough to be maneuverable during the river's highwaters of the spring and fall seasons. Young Jim Owens, son of the steamer's builder, returns home from school about the time that the Talisman is being prepared for her maiden voyage, and is persuaded to make the voyage with her. This experience serves Jim well, for encounters with resentful keelboatmen, outlaws, a determined young lady, and an amazing Illinoisan named Abe Lincoln help him realize and prove his maturity during his first attempt at independence. Steamboat on the River was inspired by stories that the author heard as a child growing up in northern Illinois, and is based on thorough studies of the life of Abraham Lincoln and the history of boating in Illinois. The novel is basically true. Only Jim Owens, Thankful Blair, and a few minor characters are fictitious. As an historical novel, it passes the tests of authenticity and accuracy, while telling an adventurous tale quite capable of commanding the interest of either casual reader or historian.

Book Review Digest, 1952, p. 876-7.

Hawthorndean; or, Philip Benton's Family, A Story of Every Day Life, by Mrs. Clara M. Thompson. Author of "Rectory of Moreland,'' "Chapel of St. Mary," &c. Philadelphia: Peter F. Cunningham, Publisher; No. 216 South Third Street, 1873. 426p.

When Philip Benton chooses exile for himself as a penance for miscalculation and misuse of funds in the family's banking business, he and his wife move to a farm in central Illinois, near Prairie Home, while their children are scattered among relatives and friends. Hawthorndean focuses on the life of Rosine, the Bentons' second daughter, who is adopted by Philip Benton's best friend, and reared in New England society, although considerable attention is also given to Marion and Harold who accompany their parents to Illinois; to blind Willie who stays with his grandfather; and to the infant Jeannie who dies soon after the move. Love and marriage are the major concerns of the novel, as Rosine and Marion choose husbands who can give them what they want from life. Although the novel is set, in part, in Illinois, locale has little influence on the story. Such influences as the Catholic Church and the War with Mexico seem to have more direct bearing than time and place.

Literary World, 3/1/1873, p. 155.

The Young Surveyor; or, Jack on the Prairies, by J. T. Trobridge. Author of "Jack Hazard and His Fortunes,'' etc. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates, [1875.] 290p.

One of several books in the Jack Hazard series, The Young Surveyor relates the adventures of Henry Ragdon--called Jack by his friends--as a surveyor in the new state of Illinois. Having ventured onto the prairies of northern Illinois to do a small surveying job, Jack stops on his return trip to do some deer hunting, and in the process loses his horse to a bold horse thief. The entire affair proves a terrible inconvenience for him since he is stranded on the prairie with a wagon, two dead deer, and no horse; but Jack uses a bit of ingenuity, makes some friends, and solves his immediate problem. How he finds his horse, proves his ownership, and regains possession fills the major portion of this humorously told, slightly fanciful novel. The Young Surveyor is a romantic view of life on the Illinois prairies about 1840. Characterization and description of locale seem accurate, but lack the ring of authenticity--as though written by an outsider from published accounts and a two-week sight-seeing tour.