For more about this book, see the blog posts: Why Garfield? ; Inauguration Day 1881; Garfield-Reagan; July 4th Weekend; A Tragic Night
James Garfield has only been the United States president for a few days when a stranger begins stalking him. Who is this man? And what does he want from the president? For weeks, the threat to Garfield grows, undetected, until a sudden violent encounter catches Washington by surprise.
In this gripping thriller, award-winning author Gail Jarrow explores events from the summer of 1881. Anxious Americans intently follow news reports in the aftermath of the stranger’s shocking attack on Garfield. Can the president’s doctors save him? Have their mistakes put him in new danger? Jarrow uncovers these answers and more in the haunting true story about a fiasco that changed the course of political and medical history.
WHAT REVIEWERS SAY:
Winner of YALSA’s 2022 Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award
Grateful American Book Prize 2022, Honorable Mention
Kirkus Reviews Best Books for 2021 (Best Middle-Grade History)
Nerdy Book Club Awards, 2021 (Best Long Form Nonfiction)
CCBC Choices List, 2022 (Historical People, Places, and Events)
Texas Topaz Nonfiction Gems, 2023, Texas Library Association
Garden State Teen Book Award ballot, 2023, New Jersey Library Association
Washington Independent Review of Books “The Best Book I Read this Year” list
Junior Library Guild selection
★“With characteristic thoroughness, Jarrow tells the entire story, including details from Garfield’s children’s diaries and numerous other firsthand sources as well as many illustrations. — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★"Each chapter's intriguing last sentence invites continued reading...Well sourced and highly recommended." – Booklist, starred review
★ “The slow, lingering death of James Garfield in the summer heat of Washington, D.C., the anger of the American people, and the mental instability of the assassin all combine to make this an unforgettable book.” –School Library Journal, starred review
“Gail Jarrow combines a compelling true story with a rich collection of related illustrations and sidebars. The result is a high-interest tale that will seriously gross you out. AMBUSHED will readily grab the attention of ten- to fourteen-year-old readers.” — Richie’s Picks