Book Review: Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell

Some of my favorite books happen to be ones that are difficult for me to explain with getting a, "huh?" response from most people I know. This one has already elicited this response from a few friends and family when I excitedly tried to explain how funny and educational Sarah Vowell's book is. I admit it might have to do with my ability to describe it. You be the judge.

It is a memoir (I guess that is what you would call it) of her research and pilgrimages to various key site related to the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. This woman is into presidential history and her enthusiasm is infectious. It's hard for me to put into words (maybe that is why I get the huhs?), but it's like listening to your favorite, funny-story-telling friend at a dinner party (would I sound like too much of a stalker if I said I wish Sarah was my friend? Sarah are you reading this?). This woman knows the subjects so well, she can pull out the interesting bits and make it sound like something on reality TV (I mean that in a good way). Coming away from the book with a real understanding of Garfield and McKinley was not such a surprise, I knew virtually nothing about them (except maybe that they were presidents). I think the most gratifying, though, was the section on Lincoln. I felt like I really understood the history and impact of the Lincoln assassination for the first time. It's something I didn't know that I didn't know until I knew it. I guess it also makes me feel a little bit smarter, and I would be lying if I said that didn't influence my enjoyment of the book.

Anyway, it's a fun read (huh? a book on assassinations is a fun read?) and I highly recommend it.