“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of ambitions in politics must be in want of a wife.”

No, that’s not how this richly imagined novel about Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd begins, but it could have. For Bayard’s tale recalls Jane Austen in its wit, keenly observed social conventions, and chief object, finding love amid the teacups and calling cards, the glances and tacit declarations of acceptance or rejection.

But this is Austen with broader humor, because Lincoln arrives in Springfield, Illinois, blissfully unaware of said social conventions, and the way he learns, and his reaction to his studies, is often hilarious.

Then, too, the narrative has a sharper, more serious tone, because the mud-plagued streets of Springfield have nothing like the gentility that Elizabeth Bennet & Co. would recognize, and some of the mud is metaphorical, flung by politicians at one another.

The two principals here are lonely, tortured people, for whom marriage, as every reader surely knows, will bring many heartrending trials. And the chief obstacle to their betrothal isn’t Mary’s snobby, married sister Elizabeth, with whom she lives, but the psychological pain with which Lincoln lives.

With that inescapable, tragic overlay, Bayard does a remarkable job of evoking the lightness in both lovers; her wit and intelligence, his qualities that other men lack. As his close friend Joshua Speed puts it, Lincoln says what he believes and believes what he says. This characteristic is so startling that other men beg for his opinion on every matter under the sun. Be it known also that when Mary first meets him, he reminds her of a spindly pine tree, so a little moral strength helps.

Joshua and Mary are the two point-of-view characters, not Lincoln. That choice offers three crucial advantages, which Bayard deftly exploits. First, Lincoln’s intense feelings of unworthiness, which often prompt a deep withdrawal into himself, remain suggested but properly enigmatic, so the reader shares Speed’s and Mary’s frustration that he’s unreachable.

Second, Speed has undertaken to school Lincoln in etiquette and social graces; since they both live above Speed’s dry-goods store (with two other men), they’re often together. Though aware that a more refined Lincoln will make him fitter for female company — partly the purpose, for he’ll need a wife if he’s to advance in politics — Speed resents his friend’s success with Mary. Jealous of Lincoln for getting the belle of Springfield, and of the belle for intruding on a perfectly good bachelor friendship, Speed has mixed motives throughout.

That unusual window allows the narrative to explore and comment on the bounds of friendship and courtship in a deep, thought-provoking way. Friendship is much easier to test, define, and judge, whereas marriage is a speculative option, at best. It’s also apparent that Speed is courting Lincoln too, for his own purposes — hence the title. Yet none of that prevents Lincoln’s preparation for social respectability from reaching high comedy, especially when the merchant tries to teach the backwoods lawyer how to waltz.

If Courting Mr. Lincoln has a notable flaw, it’s the repetition, the alternating perspective of Mary and Speed going over the same events. To be sure, they offer very different views. But even though I understood the literary convention, which Bayard invokes without calling attention to it — the characters wouldn’t, would they? — the narrative still surprised me. I wound up thinking, Wait a minute; I read this before.

But that’s no reason to fault a superb love story. And though each of us likely imbues Lincoln with the virtues we wish to see in him, I came away from this portrayal marveling at how our most thoughtful, compassionate president, mortified at hurting anyone or anything, oversaw our country during its deadliest, most divisive conflict. ( )

Loved the archaic language. It added to the feeling of being in the mid-1800s. Characterizations seemed believable and real, especially Lincoln, who appeared complex and human. ( )

Fictionalized account of the triangular relationship between Mary Todd, Lincoln and Joshua Speed prior to the Lincoln-Todd marriage. Lincoln had lived above the Speed family's grocery shop, and shared a bed with Speed for 4 years (men did that back in those times to save money). The book takes the perspective that Lincoln and Speed shared a much more intimate relationship (not sexual) than has previously been known. In the end, both men married women and lead independent lives, although their love for each other persisted. Quite an interesting perspective. The book gives me an understanding of how people dealt with strong feelings for members of their same sex at a time when homosexual behavior would have been unthinkable. Very well written. ( )

A love triangle involving Abraham Lincoln? Well, yes, and what's more, Louis Bayard's 2019 novel “Courting Mr. Lincoln” sticks fairly close to the historical record.

Lincoln and Mary Todd show up in Springfield, Ill., at about the same time. Gangly and ignorant of how to dress and behave in polite society, Lincoln comes to town to launch both his legal and his political careers. Mary moves in with her sister to try to find a suitable husband, although her outspokenness has so far turned suitors away.

Unable to afford a room of his own, Lincoln accepts an offer to share a bed with Joshua Speed, a merchant with good prospects and a man seen as Mary's best prospect. Yet Joshua and Mary, it turns out, are each more interested in Lincoln than in each other.

An older woman in Springfield who views herself as both a political kingmaker and a matchmaker, sees potential in Lincoln that is still invisible to others, but she knows he needs a wife to get very far in politics. She settles on Mary Todd as the best choice, and she conspires to bring the two of them together in secret in her home.

Wondering where his friend is spending his afternoons, a jealous Speed has Lincoln followed, then he reveals the secret to Mary's sister, believing that will end the affair. And it does, but only temporarily. How Abraham and Mary eventually get back together and what happens in the Lincoln-Speed friendship occupies the rest of this engrossing and very unusual romantic novel.

So did Lincoln have homosexual leanings? Bayard raises the possibility, but leaves the question unanswered. just as history does. ( )

Although historical romance is not my favorite genre, I do enjoy reading about Abraham Lincoln. This portrait of Mary Todd is much kinder than others, and the romance between two socially awkward people is a sweet story. ( )