"Elements reminiscent of an Edith Wharton novel—the mannered social interactions, Gilded Age settings, and matrimony-bound momentum––will draw many romantically inclined readers, who will delight in the sweet inevitability of Edwina’s love match as much as in the closing message: “Grab your own chance at happiness. You can make others happy only if you’re happy yourself."
     —Booklist

"[Wemmlinger's] quick-moving and well-written story employs appropriately old-fashioned speech and the result is enthralling."
     —Kirkus Reviews

"T[An] impeccably researched and compelling debut."
     —Publishers Weekly

"Intriguing insights into the mental and emotional make-up of John Wilkes Booth and the sub-story of Joseph Booth's (John and Edwin's brother) tragic romance are the best aspects of this novel."
     —Voice of Youth Advocates

"Though Edwina's a little overshadowed in her own story, the book's take on this larger-than-life family is a fascinating counterpoint to James Gross Giblin's Good Brother, Bad Brother."
     —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"An interesting picture of upper middle class existence in this debut novel set at a time when women were just beginning to see themselves as autonomous."
     —School Library Journal