Q & A with Jen Bryant

Author of Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale Of Abraham Lincoln

On February 12, 2009, America celebrates the 200th birthday of one of the country’s most popular and mythologized presidents: Abraham Lincoln.

In Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale Of Abraham Lincoln, award-winning author Jen Bryant retells a true tale of Lincoln’s childhood. Based on one of the few recorded anecdotes about Lincoln’s youth, this beautifully illustrated picture book gives fantastic insight into the boy Abe Lincoln was, and the man he would become.

Below, Jen answers some questions about why she’s fascinated about Abe Lincoln, what inspired her to write the book, and much more!

How did you come up with the idea to write about Abraham Lincoln’s childhood?

Ever since I went to college in Gettysburg, PA, I’ve been interested in Abe Lincoln’s life.

Lincoln stayed in a private home on the square in Gettysburg before he gave his now-famous Gettysburg Address in Nov. 1863. I used to jog past there and think “Wow—he actually slept right there, in that room!”

What intrigued you most about the true story from Lincoln’s boyhood about a fish and the soldier returning home from the war?

I love stories that are simple on the surface, but can be very complex if you take the time to consider them more closely. This story is a great example. Abe’s role in providing his family with a meal, his conflicting feelings about giving up the fish, his thoughts about war and the idea of freedom—all come together in this tiny anecdote.

During your research, what surprised you the most about young Abe’s life?

One of the things I found most surprising and inspiring was how much of family life revolved around pure survival. This included the gathering/ growing/preparing of food, the making of clothing and shoes, and the building/cleaning/ maintaining of shelter. This seems remarkable in today’s era of the Internet, mega malls and enormous grocery stores because we are so far removed from the process of providing our basic everyday needs. But Abe and his family spent almost all of their waking hours on exactly that. And for one winter after they moved to Indiana, they lived in a 3-sided lean-to shelter where they basically hibernated like animals until the snow melted! Just imagine having that kind of childhood—then ending up in the White House. It must have seemed like a whole other world to him.

Why should young people be interested in Abraham Lincoln?

There are a number of reasons. The first and most important is that integrity is universal and undeniable—and Lincoln’s integrity (his sense of honor and honesty, which came from making hundreds of difficult choices throughout his lifetime—and from having to work hard, physically and intellectually, for everything he had) remained obvious to anyone who met him. The second is that—despite all of that—he had many, many “failures.” As Americans we unfortunately view our failures not as the opportunities for learning that they are, but as a stopping place, a death sentence. (“I didn’t; make the team or I didn’t get an A+ , so I must be a worthless person!) But Lincoln—luckily for us—persisted in his belief that he had something to offer and did not give up despite his business and political discouragements and his many personal losses. In that way, he continues to be an inspiration to all of us on a very personal level.

What do you think Lincoln’s most lasting legacy is?

I think Lincoln was elected during our nation’s most difficult period, when it was entirely possible that we would not survive as a nation at all. If someone else had been in charge during that period, it’s very likely that we would not be living the United States we know today. Abe Lincoln led us to safety and he made sure that our country—and the ideals it was based upon—would endure.