Mr. Lincoln's Gift

Publisher: Friends of Hildene, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9754917-4-4

One evening my stepfather handed me a box of old letters written to his great, great grandfather Francis (Frank) Bicknell Carpenter. I started reading these fragile pieces of history and soon discovered that they were written by famous Americans——poets, painters and politicians of the nineteenth century. I was thrilled with this treasure box and was sure I could find a story in the letters. After years of research, I wrote Mr. Lincoln’s Gift based on the true experiences of Frank Carpenter.

In 1864, painter Frank Carpenter wanted to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in a painting. President Lincoln gave the young painter permission to set up a giant canvas in the State Dining Room and spend six months painting. Frank spent hours studying the president’s face and witnessing Lincoln’s grief over the American Civil War.

Frank also had a second, private mission in Washington. He wanted to tell Lincoln the sad story of a Civil War soldier who was dying in prison. But the president was always busy.

Would Carpenter be able to help save the young soldier? Would Lincoln listen to Carpenter’s plea? Read Mr. Lincoln’s Gift to find out.

About the Illustrator

Laine Dunham Akiyama has been a designer and producer in the themed entertainment industry since 1981, working with such creative companies as Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal MCA, and Sony Development. She is currently the Deputy Director and Creative Director at the Lincoln Family Home at Hildene. She lives with her husband in Manchester, Vermont.

Related Topics

Learn more about the Lincoln Family Home at Hildene: http://www.hildene.org/

Learn more about Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation that initiated the freedom of America’s slaves:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/
emancipation_proclamation/

See more of Frank Carpenter’s art