A review by lyc4nthropes
Savage Conversations by LeAnne Howe

4.0

"the rope: i am a collar, / a strangler, / i float in the wind like a flag on holidays. / i inspire national pride."

this begs to be re-read, and i'd love to have my own copy of it to just write all over. i had no idea of any of this about mary todd lincoln. i don't think she's someone we learn very much about in any of our high school or college classes. not surprising, given how heavily revised even her husband's history is in the textbooks. i did know of the mass public execution that inspired this book, but i don't think i ever really stopped to learn more about it. this book has given me a lot of extra material to read.
i loved the writing in this, and how carefully crafted all of the wording was. it's such a unique piece. this definitely feels like a book that you could find something new in every time you read it. i've never read anything by leanne howe until now, but i'd really like to pick up some more of her stuff.