A novel based on true events — William Johnson was never Lincoln’s shadow. He was his mirror. As Lincoln’s personal barber and valet, Johnson did not influence the President by whispering into his ear, he was the living embodiment of the price paid trying to keep the Union together, a daily reminder that half measures were an insult to humanity. Because calculating the cost of peace is impossible, where humans enter the equation. — Jenn C. After escaping slavery, twenty-five-year-old William Henry Johnson goes to the nation’s capital as Abraham Lincoln’s valet, hoping the new president will help him reunite his family. But when Lincoln chooses an expedient peace over freedom, Johnson's hopes and the war for emancipation may be doomed—unless Johnson can turn him from long-held prejudices and convince him to embrace equality. Changing Lincoln's heart and mind comes at a severe price. Amid much controversy over the legacies of historical figures, comes a novel that explores Lincoln's complex and evolving views on slavery, emancipation, abolition, and racial equality. But more than a Lincoln novel, it is the forgotten story of a young man who likely influenced Lincoln more than any celebrated abolitionist when it came to his turn from segregationist to champion of freedom and equality for all. "Richly chronicled ... intimate ... poignant ... captivating. One novel I will read again and again." -- ROBERT DUGONI , NYT, WSJ International Best-Selling and award-winning author of over 20 novels, including The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and The Tracy Crosswhite Series "Intriguing historical elements combined with solid fictionalization." -- The Booklife Prize by PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Different from the usual Lincoln coverage on many levels ... richer and more complex ... vivid ... a rare ability to delve into the heart and mind of the man." -- D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS "History in a text book can be rather flat, but DL Fowler breathes new life into a consequential time period. The Turn will surely ignite a flame ... the dynamic writing style makes for a compelling retelling of a tumultuous era ... gripping and objective ... DL Fowler fills history's gaps with intelligent deduction and a sharp sense of realism." -- INDIES TODAY "... The Turn captures Lincoln's complexity ... well-researched, well-written ... a thoughtful addition to the cannon of historical fiction about Lincoln and his circle." - SUSAN HIGGINBOTHAM (author of The First Lady and the Rebel) for HISTORICAL NOVEL REVIEW , quarterly journal of the international Historical Novel Society The Turn does not pretend to offer answers as much as it raises the question: why does history record what it does? Abraham Lincoln's world was populated by a diverse collection of people, from salt of the earth farmers, runaway slaves, and the powerful elite, to neighbors, friends, family, and cronies. As is appropriate for a novel, The Turn brings overlooked characters, particularly William Henry Johnson, into the spotlight. The usual cast of characters who dominate accounts of Lincoln's life take a backseat, but the events are real, or at least realistic, according to historical records. It is important to keep in mind, though, that I am a novelist and avocational historian. I write novels to explore themes and convey messages through drama. The Turn is a biographical novel in the style of Irving Stone that explores Lincoln's evolution on issues of racial justice, such as equality, abolition, emancipation, and segregation. William Henry Johnson was a real person whose life intersected with Abraham Lincoln's life between late 1859 or early 1860 and January 1864. Only a handful of facts about William were ever recorded. Among them, historians estimate he was 25 years old when he met Lincoln. In late1861 Lincoln wrote that he had known William for less than two years.William worked for Lincoln in Springfield as a laborer. At least one anecdote places William on the train with Lincoln as they traveled to Washington for the inauguration. A note in Lincoln's handwriting indicates William was to have served as his valet but was spurned by other domestic staff at the White House because his skin was too dark. Elizabeth Keckly's memoir corroborates this understanding as does an account by John Washington in an anthology of recollections, They Knew Lincoln . Records exist of two bank drafts by Lincoln for $5 each paid to William Johnson. William's presence with Lincoln at Gettysburg, including the train ride from and back to Washington, was recorded by a journalist who traveled with the presidential entourage. During that trip, the journalist reported that William was the most valuable member of Lincoln's party, which included Secretary of State William Seward and two other Cabinet  members. David Wills, the man who hosted Lincoln in his home during the Gettysburg visit, witnessed William in Lincoln's room, assisting t