The Lincoln Letter by William Martin

In 1865, Abraham Lincoln, “a man wrestling to do what’s right, then doing his best,” freed Negro slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. How did Lincoln come to his decision? In this fast-paced historical novel, readers journey back and forth between two interrelated worlds—Washington, D.C. as it existed during the Civil War and as it exists today—to discover the answer in Lincoln’s diary.

Lieutenant Halsey Hutchinson’s life unravels after he finds the diary, fails in his attempts to return it to the President, and makes some desperate decisions. In the present day, Peter Fallon and Evangeline Carrington get caught up in a dangerous chase to retrieve the diary before it falls into the wrong hands. This novel, which contains some vulgarity, offers insights into the complexity of Lincoln’s decision, the forces for and against abolition, and present-day political intrigue. (Forge)