Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance

In Short

Frances Cavanah’s biographical novel presents the formative years of Abraham Lincoln, trailing his journey from a drafty log cabin in Kentucky to the brink of the presidency. Raised in the wilderness of Indiana and Illinois, young Abe endures backbreaking farm labor, tragic family loss, and severe poverty, yet he harbors an insatiable hunger for learning. Guided by a loving stepmother who recognizes his rare spirit, Abe teaches himself grammar and law by firelight. This durable narrative captures how humor, unwavering honesty, and quiet ambition transform an unpolished frontier youth into a nation’s guiding light.

The Story

The narrative opens in 1809 in a humble Kentucky cabin where newborn Abraham Lincoln is introduced to his proud mother, Nancy, and his young cousin, Dennis Hanks. Life on the frontier is grueling, and the family soon packs up their few possessions—a skillet, bedding, and axes—to cross the wide Ohio River into the dense, unbroken wilderness of Pigeon Creek, Indiana. There, the Lincolns clear land, erect a three-sided shelter, and contend with the constant hardships of pioneer survival. Tragic loss strikes early when Nancy dies, leaving young Abe and his sister Sally disheveled, grieving, and lonely in an unkempt cabin.

Everything shifts when their father, Tom Lincoln, returns from Kentucky with a new wife, Sarah Bush Johnston. Warm, practical, and remarkably perceptive, Sarah immediately restores order and dignity to the household. She bathes the dirty children, provides them with clean clothes and feather beds, and quickly recognizes Abe’s unusual intelligence. Though Tom Lincoln worries that book learning makes a boy lazy and unfitted for manual labor, Sarah champions Abe's education. Abe seizes every spare moment to study, reading borrowed books by the dim glow of the fireplace after long days of plowing corn and chopping wood for twenty-five cents a day.

As he grows into a tall, exceptionally strong young man, Abe's horizons expand. A flatboat journey down the Mississippi River to New Orleans exposes him to the wider world and the harsh realities of human slavery. Returning north, he settles in New Salem, Illinois, where his quick wit, physical prowess, and scrupulous honesty quickly earn him the respect of the local settlers, including the rough-and-tumble Clary Grove boys. He works as a store clerk, serves as a captain in the Black Hawk War, and eagerly dives into a discarded barrel of law books he purchases for fifty cents.

Self-taught and determined, Abe earns a license to practice law and moves to the rising town of Springfield. Moving into a room above Joshua Speed’s store with only seven dollars in his pocket, he earns a reputation as an upright lawyer who refuses to overcharge poor clients. His growing political stature culminates in a series of legendary debates against Senator Stephen A. Douglas over the question of slavery. Though he loses the Senate race, Lincoln's eloquent defence of human freedom makes him a national figure. The book closes as President-elect Lincoln bids an emotional farewell to his beloved stepmother, Sarah, stepping onto the train that will carry him toward his destiny in Washington.

How It Unfolds

A wilderness nativity Dennis Hanks visits the Lincoln cabin in Kentucky to meet his newborn cousin, while Nancy Lincoln asks the family to give the scrawny baby a chance to grow.

Crossing into Indiana The family packs their few household goods onto horses and crosses the Ohio River to carve out a new home in the thick timber of Pigeon Creek.

A stepmother’s gift Following the death of Abe's biological mother, Tom Lincoln marries Sarah Johnston, who instantly transforms the cold, neglected cabin into a warm home and defends Abe’s desire to learn.

Pranks and hair-washing Abe manages to turn tedious pioneer chores into lighthearted moments, luring his stepbrother Johnny into a mud-splattering joke after lathering his hair at the horse trough.

Saving the family farm When a dishonest neighbor tries to trick Tom Lincoln into signing away his property, Abe uses his reading skills to spot the fraud, proving the practical value of an education to his skeptical father.

Down the Mississippi A flatboat journey to New Orleans opens Abe's eyes to steamboats, river pirates, and the grim reality of enslaved workers laboring in southern cotton fields.

Earning respect in New Salem Abe moves to Illinois, wins the allegiance of the rowdy Clary Grove boys in a fair wrestling match, and studies a set of law books found in an old barrel.

Riding the circuit After moving to Springfield, Abe builds a successful legal career, winning the hearts of judges and clients alike with his sharp mind, integrity, and famous storytelling.

Debating the Little Giant Lincoln takes on Stephen A. Douglas in a series of intense political debates, delivering powerful speeches against slavery that capture the attention of the entire nation.

A final blessing On the eve of his journey to Washington as President-elect, Abe visits his aging stepmother to exchange a tearful, affectionate farewell.

The People

• Abraham "Abe" Lincoln begins life as a scrawny infant in a log cabin and grows into a tall, gangly youth driven by an insatiable curiosity. He wants to learn, master the law, and make something of his life, but he is held back by extreme poverty, relentless physical chores, and his father's skepticism toward books. Through steady honesty, self-discipline, and humor, he emerges as a respected lawyer and national leader.
• Sarah Bush Lincoln is Abe’s stepmother, a kind, tidy, and resolute woman who enters the untidy Pigeon Creek cabin determined to give the young Lincolns a proper home. She wants her stepchildren to be clean, happy, and educated. Standing firmly against her husband's grumbling, she nurtures Abe’s intellect and becomes his greatest advocate and lifelong friend.
• Thomas "Tom" Lincoln is Abe's hard-working father, a practical pioneer carpenter and farmer who wants his son to perform manual labor and contribute to the family's meager finances. Burdened by debt and land worries, he views reading as impractical "tomfoolery," though he eventually comes to appreciate Abe's skills when they save him from a bad contract.
• Dennis Hanks is Abe's energetic older cousin who brings playful humor to the wilderness household, acting as a frequent companion and observer during Abe's early years.

In Its Own Voice

When young Abe accidentally breaks a prong off a pair of deer antlers hanging inside the schoolhouse, his sudden panic reveals the rigid discipline of pioneer classrooms:

What a wonderful place to swing! thought Abe. He leaped up and caught hold of the prongs. He began swinging back and forth. CRASH! One prong came off in his hand, and he fell to the floor. He hurried to his seat, hoping that the master would not notice.

Later, Sarah Lincoln gently explains to her husband why the next generation must be encouraged to read and learn beyond their elders:

"Maybe the Lord meant for young ones to be smarter than their parents," said Sarah, "or the world might never get any better."

As an ambitious young man stepping out into the world, Abe expresses his quiet determination to be ready when opportunity strikes:

Abe threw back his shoulders. "I aim to study and get ready and then the chance will come."

What It's Really About

Beneath its narrative of frontier boyhood, the book explores the quiet triumph of self-education over harsh circumstance. It investigates how character is forged not in grand political arenas, but around drafty hearths, in cornfields, and along muddy riverbanks. Cavanah focuses on the essential role of encouragement, illustrating how Sarah Lincoln's belief in Abe's potential alters the trajectory of his life. The story also examines the moral development of a future leader, showing how early exposures to injustice—whether a crooked contract, a neighborhood bully, or the sight of human beings in chains—shape an enduring commitment to fairness and basic human dignity.

Why Read It Today

This work offers a warm, accessible portrait of American pioneer life that strips away distant myth to reveal a relatable, human Lincoln. Readers who enjoy classic Americana and inspirational biographies will appreciate Cavanah’s crisp, engaging storytelling. The narrative moves at a gentle, reassuring pace, capturing the vernacular and rhythms of nineteenth-century frontier life without feeling dated or overly archaic.

Modern readers should note that the dialogue incorporates period dialect and frontier slang—such as "preachify," "fizzlegigs," and "eddication"—which reflects the rural speech of the era. The portrayal of frontier hardship, including early parental death and child labor, is handled with gentle restraint suitable for family reading. What remains with the reader long after the final page is the inspiring image of a youth who refused to let remote surroundings limit his mind, proving that character, kindness, and perseverance can carve a path from the humblest cabin to the highest office in the land.