Henry and Clara

On the evening of Good Friday 1865 Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris joined the Lincolns in the Presidential box at Fords Theater becoming eyewitnesses to one of the great tragedies of American history.In this riveting novel Thomas Mallon re-creates the unusual love story of this young engaged couple whose fateful encounter with history profoundly affects the remainder of their lives. Lincolns assassination is only one part of the remarkable life they share a dramatic tale of passion scandal heroism murder and madness all based on Mallons deep research into the fascinating history of the Rathbone and Harris families. Henry and Clara not only tells the astonishing story of its title figures; it also illuminates the culture of nineteenth-century Victorian America: a rigid society barely concealing the suppressed impulses and undercurrents that only grew stronger as the century progressed.