Talmadge Walker

A pretty good short alternative history novel about the aftermath of the Civil War. Lincoln has survived the attempted assassination by Booth and following the end of the war sends a couple of former Confederate generals along with Lewis Powell (yes, one of the conspirators) and Frederick Douglass on a fact finding trip to the South. Some of the dialogue and exposition is a bit stiff but the author is obviously enthusiastic about his subject and gives the reader a good time. One interesting character (a real person) that I had never heard of is a former slave who buys his old master’s house and lets the master’s now destitute and demented widow live there believing he is still her slave--at least that’s the story.… (altro)