A debut novel from an Eden resident is drawing attention for the unusual family history behind its premise. Perry Fox has published Lincoln's Double: Friend or Foe, a work of historical fiction inspired by his grandfather, a 6'5" Confederate soldier who bore a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln.
The book imagines an alternate path for Fox's ancestor, weaving a tale of a botched kidnapping, an unlikely friendship with the president, and a desperate race to stop an assassination. The narrative moves from the simple farms of Florida to the high-stakes political arena of Washington, D.C., offering a fresh perspective on one of America's most defining eras.
Fox said the project grew out of stories his father told him about his own father. "I've always been fascinated by the stories my father told me about his own father," Fox said. "Writing this book was a way for me to connect with a grandfather I never got to meet and to explore the incredible 'what ifs' of history. It's been a labor of love, and I'm thrilled to finally share it with my community."
The announcement matters beyond the literary milestone of a first-time author. Historical fiction that reimagines the Civil War era continues to hold a strong grip on American readers, and Fox's novel enters that market with a hook that is personal rather than purely academic: a family connection to a man whose physical similarity to Lincoln invited speculation about alternative outcomes. By centering the story on a botched kidnapping and a friendship with the president, the book engages directly with the most consequential 'what if' in American history, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
For readers in Eden and the wider region, the release represents a local voice entering a national conversation about how family memory and historical fact intersect. The novel's journey from Florida farm country to the corridors of wartime Washington mirrors the way ordinary families were pulled into the era's largest events, a theme that may resonate with readers whose own ancestors left only fragmentary records behind.
For the publishing and bookselling industry, the title arrives as a self-described labor of love from a first-time author, a category that often depends on community support and word of mouth to find an audience. The book's availability for review copies, interviews, and media requests signals an intent to reach beyond local readership and into broader historical-fiction circles.
The novel is now available, and Fox, an Eden resident, said he is eager to share the finished work with his community. The story's central question, whether a man who looked like Lincoln could have changed the course of the war and its aftermath, is one the author explores through a narrative grounded in the stories passed down through his own family.
