Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The First Lady and the Rebel
Susan Higginbotham · 2019
79/100
👍 Worth It
Susan Higginbotham does something special here, giving Mary Todd Lincoln real depth instead of the cartoon version history usually hands her, and Booklist and Library Journal both backed up the research behind it. One reviewer wished the middle section moved faster, but this is a genuinely well-built piece of historical fiction.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety80
Substance / usefulness82
Craft & writing80
Originality70
Evidence & accuracy82
Hype vs delivers45
Age-fit72
Human-eye read78
Penny’s verdict79
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