CL Pauwels at Large

…and they can be interesting!

This week’s OAT introduces two special books:

Trudy Krisher’s FANNY SEWARD: A LIFE (recently-announced winner of the Silver Medal for Best Regional Non-Fiction from the Independent Publishers Association) for adults:

“At last Fanny Seward, the precocious, perceptive daughter of Secretary of State William Seward, gets her own book, the book she deserves: warm and literate and engaging.”—Walter Stahr, author of Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man

“This well researched account of young Fanny Seward, resident of upstate New York and daughter of Lincoln’s right-hand man in Washington, DC, brings a human perspective to domestic life in the Civil War period. The poignant story of Fanny from childhood through early adulthood provides rich context to the well-preserved Seward House in Auburn, New York.”—Deirdre Stam, Long Island University

…and AN AFFECTIONATE FAREWELL, for the younger set:

“A story written to commemorate the life of President Lincoln who was assassinated on April 15th 150 years ago. An Affectionate Farewell is a wonderful introduction for young readers to the life of President Abraham ‘Old Abe’ Lincoln and to the story of his faithful horse Old Bob.”

“He was a big horse, proud and strong, with a swayback that emphasized the heft of his haunches. His dark bay coat was the reddish-brown color of mahogany; his legs, mane, tail, and muzzle were coal black. But as he clip-clopped his way to the house at Eighth and Jackson Streets in the bustling prairie town of Springfield, Illinois, he did not know that he was trotting into history. His new owner was to become one of the most important of all American presidents.”

So begins the story in which we learn of how Old Abe and Old Bob got their names and how they journeyed together across the wide open prairies, sharing good times and bad, hardships and rest. We learn of President Lincoln’s love for animals and we discover from an early age his dislike of cruelty to them as well as to humans. Observing slavery first hand as a young man, he was finally able to do something about it once he became president. Old Bob was there from the beginning of this young lawyer’s memorable career to the very end “escorting his master on his final ride.” This is a story for animal lovers and history buffs alike with an evocative text and delightfully realistic watercolor illustrations.

Trudy’s wonderful work is available in all the usual places.