Washington's lady

This reads like fictional biography, but is firmly grounded in meticulous study of every phase of Washington's career that concerned his lady, Martha Custis Washington. Her role as wife of the Commanding General of an army constantly defeated, sparsely clad, inadequately equipped, frequently hungry, was not an easy one. She lived in constant terror for his safety and whenever he went into winter quarters--Valley Forge, Morristown, Newburgh -- or the pleasanter settings of Cambridge and Philadelphia-- she joined him, to make a home for him and his staff. Her devotion never flagged-- nor his to her. And this is a warm and moving picture of a marriage, and of a man whose human side is frequently forgotten. While the book covers the whole of her life as his wife and widow, the focus is mostly concentrated on the war years, though the eight years of the unwanted presidency and the too brief years at Mt. Vernon receive their share. A book of considerable charm. [Kirkus Reviews]