The Boyhood of Lincoln
is a short narrative told by Lincoln's first cousin, Dennis Hanks. It tells the story of how Lincoln's father's moved the family a number of times in his search for find arable land; Lincoln's relationship with his mother and stepmother; but mostly, it emphasizes Lincoln's never-ending quest for knowledge. It is a fascinating book, sure to reveal new details of Lincoln's life. Abraham Lincoln's mother was Nancy Hanks, daughter of Lucy Hanks. Nancy married Thomas Lincoln, and gave birth to three children, Abraham, Sarah, and Thomas Jr. She died when Abraham was nine years old. Nancy's mother, Lucy, married Henry Sparrow. Lucy's sister, Elizabeth, married Henry's brother, Thomas. But before her marriage, Elizabeth gave birth to a son, Dennis Hanks, in 1799. Dennis was a cousin to Abraham's mother, Nancy, and, first cousin to Abraham. He was raised by Elizabeth and Thomas Sparrow. The Sparrow family lived with Thomas Lincoln and his family. Although Dennis was ten years older than Abraham, it is certain they grew up together. Dennis was in an ideal position to offer considerable insight into Abraham's childhood. The Childhood of Abraham Lincoln is almost entirely a narrative by Dennis Hanks. There are two interruptions by Dennis's daughter, with whom he was living at the time, and two very brief interruptions by the author. His recollections are presented in backwoods dialect, with no attempt by the author to convert it to standard English.