so again thank you welcome to lenox library and. i'm going to turn over the introduction of the program to matt tannenbaum from the bookstore. thank you, katie and thank you to the lenox library. coming, coming to to us. with us. so i know i've known eoin higgins his family for many, many years and i am so pleased that he has chosen us and. the library to which he has a connection. he'll tell you about to start his book for owned this incredible book we have hosted many authors at the bookstore and here at the library literature poetry poets nonfiction, creative writers. but this, as katie said, this is the most timely presentation we've ever had political events as you well know, are happening, breakneck speed. and this book will, when you read it, will provide you with a roadmap. find out how we got here right now, i own will own and dan i'll introduce dan in a minute. will. oh, and we'll sign books after the reading and i just want to introduce owen higgins and dan neilson, professor of political at simon's rock, who will be with

i am the director of lenox library. i just want to welcome you. thank you all for coming tonight. this very timely

they also spent some time in the lenox field and then travel overseas, going to liverpool, going to london. they visited paris, which loved, by the way. davis did not. he found it quite decadent. but they basically adopt somewhat of a middle class standard living, and they're pretty much subsisting from the support of confederate sympathizers. so people who are willing to host them willing to send their children to boarding school. finally, in the summer of 1868, andrew johnson issued a proclamation of amnesty. all former confederate leaders. and then the federal government ends, dismissing the indictment in february of 69. and there's a lot that goes into this, but basically the country was just ready to move on with that. this comes at a crucial moment. varina wrote that by that point had given up trying to dress even decently and that they would accepting invitations with no the specter of a trial over his head. jefferson davis feels that he can return to the united states and accept a position with the carolina life insurance company. varina was that he would pick baltimore because the