| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Wilderness Woman |
Posted - April 01 2004 : 12:55:22 PM
I am just finishing up a tidy little book that I just happened to see on the shelf in my local grocery store. It is titled, Mount Vernon Love Story; A Novel of George and Martha Washington. It was originally published in 1968 under the title Aspire To The Heavens, and it was the very first novel written by Mary Higgins Clark (of mysteries fame). It has been reprinted in paperback.
The book is a very compact, tightly written account of the personal life of George Washington. Touching only briefly on the two military "episodes" in his life, it instead focuses on George the man, husband, and step-father, rather than the soldier. It appears to be well-researched, although I really don't know a lot about this aspect of my hero. And I have since found out that upon his death, Martha ensured their privacy forever by burning all of their personal letters.
So, if much of this little novel is part of Ms. Clark's imagination, it matters not. At any rate, it is quite entertaining and is successful in opening a whole different view of our first president and his lady. |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wilderness Woman |
Posted - April 02 2004 : 08:29:30 AM
Hi, BW!
I actually have both of those books, in paperback, perched neatly on my "Waiting In Line To Be Read" shelf. Figuring that they will definitely be more on the meaty side, I have been waiting for just the right mood, and ample large time blocks, to arrive.
My husband has read all of the Shaara Civil War books... I think about 4 times each! I really must read "Killer Angels" someday. |
| Bookworm |
Posted - April 02 2004 : 07:27:52 AM
I'll have to look for that one, WW. Regarding your hero, have you read Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause by Jeff Shaara? He's the son of Michael Shaara, who wrote The Killer Angels, the basis for the movie Gettysburg and one of the best historical novels ever. I think Jeff is an excellent writer too, though his style is quite different from his father's. In addition to two novels about the Civil War and one about the Mexican War, he's written these two about the Revolution. Each tells its story from multiple points of view, and as you would expect, GW is one of the principal figures in The Glorious Cause. Can't remember at exactly what point Rise to Rebellion ends; its focus is John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. I really enjoyed both of these and learned a lot. One word of caution: these are SLOW-moving books. The author tries to put himself inside the minds of these people as they try to figure out what to do next, and that can be a lengthy process! But the characters seem all the more real for their uncertainty. I think you would like these. No debunking -- GW is definitely a hero! |
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