The Perfect Tribute

"The Perfect Tribute" by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews is a historical fiction story set during the American Civil War that explores the complexities of duty and understanding during a divided time. The book centers on Abraham Lincoln as he journeys to Gettysburg to deliver his now-famous address, highlighting his personal anxieties about the speech amid national strife and setting it against the backdrop of Edward Everett's anticipated grand oration. The story also weaves in a personal narrative of two brothers, one from the North and one from the South, showing the personal cost of the war. It demonstrates how, even amid conflict, understanding and reconciliation is possible, focusing on a meeting between Lincoln and a Southern Captain who appreciates the president's speech despite being on opposite sides of the war.