LITERARY LOCAL | Nancy Horan, Formerly of Oak Park
- Glancer Magazine
- Jun 1, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Feb 10, 2025
LOCAL AUTHOR SHARES HER INSPIRATION FOR WRITING THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN
OAK PARK–Former longtime Oak Park resident and historical novelist Nancy Horan was inspired to write her new novel, The House of Lincoln, back in 2014 when there was talk among public figures about how polarized the nation had become and even spoke of the U.S. being close to a civil war. “I thought it might be enlightening to explore the 1850’s and 60’s in Illinois to understand how the Civil War developed and how our state became central in the debate leading to that conflict,” says Nancy.
Following her previous New York Times Bestsellers, Loving Frank and Under the Wide and Starry Sky, The House of Lincoln is rich in historical detail and an insightful account of Lincoln’s transformative vision for democracy. “Illinois was a free state but had legislated the most constrictive Black Laws in the North,” says Nancy. “The state was a complex mix of political leanings. In their debates regarding the future of slavery, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas argued out the question of slavery for the whole nation.” The story is told through the eyes of three people in Springfield – a young immigrant girl working in the Lincoln household, a free African American man and Mary Lincoln who observe the buildup to Lincoln’s presidency, the duration of the Civil War in Illinois, and the aftermath of that conflict.
The House of Lincoln will be available at bookstores nationwide. Join Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville for an in-person event and signing line on June 15 at 7pm.
