Fictionalized history/biography of Lavinia Ream, the youngest (at 18) and first female artist to be awarded a government grant by the United States – which she received to sculpt the full-size marble statue of Abraham Lincoln and which still stands in the U.S. Capitol rotunda where it was installed in 1869. Sappey uses a series of letters (written to a fictional friend) to allow Vinnie to tell her own story, documenting her years in Washington DC between 1861 and 1869. There are descriptions of Vinnie’s almost accidental opportunity to become a sculptress, friends and family members role in the Civil War (with a brother who fought for the South and lived to tell about it while the rest of the family was rabidly pro-Union), her opportunity for 6months to observe, draw and sculpt a bust of Lincoln while he was still serving in the White House, and Senator Ross’ infamous vote over Andrew Johnson’s impeachment. Letters From Vinnie doesn’t really address some of the more sensational aspects of Ream’s life (she was quite a controversial personality in Washington DC, as well as a controversial choice for the Lincoln statue). This is not a book that is going fly off library shelves but it would be an interesting addition to round out materials about the Civil War and its impact on both Northern and Southern families. ( )