Whether or not it's true that the only person more written about than Abraham Lincoln was Jesus Christ, few have produced such a human connection as travel/food writer Ammeson (
Hauntings of the Underground Railroad). Retracing Lincoln's steps through Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, the author connects readers with the man on an organic and personal level, allowing them to feel how the terroir cultivated his character. Marks and stops along the way are standard variety (museums, homes, inns, distilleries, parks, historical sites), but the narrative that fleshes them to life and of relevancy to Lincoln (as well as his relatives) is unusually rich and engaging for a travel guide. But while the contact information for each stop ends each chapter, the visual representation of the journey could have been better represented, perhaps by maps, bold text for ease of reference, and an index.
VERDICT An engagingly written, personable, and intimate portrait of a president that walks in his footsteps and creates a cultural contextual lens through travel, though the volume's practicality as a functional guide could have been improved upon.
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