Young Lincoln of New Salem
From author Sam Rawlins comes the inspiring story, Young Lincoln of New Salem . Young Lincoln follows the future president through six pivotal years on the rugged Illinois frontier, where Lincoln went from store clerk to postmaster to captain of militia in the Black Hawk War. And along the way, he entered into a life-altering romance with Ann Rutledge, and that heartbreaking relationship is explored in-depth here.
If you look at the list of American Presidents you will ultimately find rankings as who was the best and the worst.More often than not Abraham Lincoln will be ranked as Number One. I think after reading this book it helps to understand what made this Man.
Most everything I have ever read about Abraham Lincoln is about his time as President and of course the American Civil War. This new book,Young Lincoln of New Salem however opens up a whole new and interesting chapter in the life of Ol’ Honest Abe. I had no idea of his early life which I am sure helped make him the man he was.
When Abraham Lincoln arrived in New Salem, Illinois, he was a young man who could barely sign his own name. At age 21, he admitted to only having one month of formal education, and he was desperate to learn. What happened in New Salem between 1831 and 1837 would both haunt and motivate him throughout the rest of his life. The friends he made, the woman he fell in love with. The jobs he held as a store clerk a postmaster a captain of militia and onto elected office.
As a historical fiction novel I am pretty sure author Sam Rawlins embellishes the story a bit. But by the looks of the eight page bibliography you can tell the Man definitely did his research. This book gives us a look into the life of Abraham Lincoln in his twenty’s. Roughly from age 22 to 28.You can see the natural leadership he exudes and the trust people put in him from those early. years. A great example of the leadership is how he is given command in the Militia in the Black Hawk war which was an uprising of the Native American Black Hawk tribe.
The trust people see in him leads him to elected office in the State Legislature.
We also see the dedication Abraham Lincoln has to his education. Having almost no formal education he basically teaches himself everything he knows. So much so that he becomes a successful attorney.
The most intriguing part of this story is about a woman name Ann Rutledge.Personally I have never heard of her. But this is the Woman that Abraham Lincoln fell in love with and was to Marry. Tragically that never happened.
This is a book I think every young American should read
About the Author
Sam Rawlins was raised in Oklahoma and Arkansas in the late 1940s and early 1950s. An immediate interest in history became an essential part of who he was, and from the age of 12, Rawlins became inspired by the life of Abraham Lincoln.
In the 1960s, after graduating from the Army Medical Training Center in San Antonio, Texas, Rawlins served as a medic in Southeast Asia. He was able to observe the destructive effects of PTSD in patients, in friends and in himself. These life-changing experiences inspired his first book, A Return to Meadow Wood, which tells the story of a Vietnam veteran who seeks healing from PTSD and closure to painful memories.
Rawlins’ quest to share an accurate depiction of a young Abe Lincoln took him to New Salem and the surrounding area. During decades of research, he pored over more than 150 written sources, including countless letters, interviews with first-party individuals and other first-party eyewitness accounts.
Visits: 640
Sam Rawlins
Mr. Leonardo–First, many thanks for reviewing my new book on your Blog page. Writing
‘Young Lincoln of New Salem’ and what it takes to write a book in general are actually two
closely related subjects from my perspective. The task of writing a book should be one in
which the writer has tremendous passion for the story being told. When readers respond,
feeling the emotions that flow through your story, then as a writer you know you have crafted
a well-written book.
Most of all, a new or beginning writer should realize that a truly good book is never written
quickly. Rather it is accomplished through subsequent careful examination, editing, reviewing,
and re-writing, and then repeating this process still again.
The writing process of ‘Young Lincoln of New Salem’ became a three year labor of love,
which followed many more years of intensive research. It is my sincere hope that History
will come alive for readers who read the story within the pages of this book. At the same
time, I wish to convey sincere encouragement to all those who are on their own journey
as writers.
–All my best, Sam Rawlins
(PS–If any of you happen to be in Springfield Illinois on Saturday June 22nd please join
me at the Barnes&Noble store there between 2-4 PM. Both my books will be available
for signing, and I would be happy to visit with all who come.)
Debbie P
This book sounds like a very interesting and great read.
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