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Mount Vernon Love Story A Novel of George and Martha Washington Mary Higgins Clark Simon & Schuster June, 2002 Hardcover/223 pages ISBN: 0-9319-1740-9 |
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"A fresh view of a hero we thought we knew so well . . ." "Clark stays truly on the mark . . . allowing the reader to see inside his great heart . . ." |
This slender volume by Mary Higgins Clark captures the essence of George Washington, detailing the great loves of his life: first Mount Vernon itself, then his older brother and faithful friends, the admiration of an older married woman (seven months older than he), his wife Martha (called Patsy by those who loved her), her children, and the budding nation he served so honorably and at great sacrifice.
In no way a complete biography and barely touching on his military service dominating most biographies, Clark stays truly on the mark she set for herself, allowing the reader to see inside his great heart, his disappointments, discouragements, longings, and the humble grace with which he steadfastly served his country. Although little emphasis was given to the hardships endured during the war for independence, every mention makes plain Washington’s concerns for his hungry, ill- prepared army, and at what great sacrifice, physically and financially, these patriots won their freedom. Bitter weather, no supplies, dysentery, fouled water, war profiteers shipping rotten meat to feed the troops, untrained men—all these Washington overcame while suffering greatly from the deaths of his beloved stepchildren, distance from Patsy, and fear that the British would burn his beloved Mount Vernon. In this fictional account created early in her writing career and recently re-released, Clark offers a fresh view of a hero we thought we knew so well and she does it with sensitivity. Reviewer: Doris Lakey |
