Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millar

 Destiny tells the story of someone I knew very little about--President James Garfield. I learned that he grew up poor,  fought in the civil war, believed Blacks should have the right to vote, served in Congress, and became president as a compromise candidate. The book alternatives between his story and that of the man who shot him early in his first year in office, Charles Guiteau. There are also quite a few pages devoted to Alexander Graham Bell, who was working on an invention that he hoped would save the president's life. All in all, it was a fascinating and surprising tale. You leave with the sense that the country would have greatly benefited from Garfield's presidency, had he only lived longer.