Washington's Lady

by Elswyth Thane

Book by Thane, Elswyth

Genres: Biography, History, Historical

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Thane is most famous for her "Williamsburg" series of historical fiction. The books cover several generations of a single family from the American Revolutionary War up to World War II. The action moves from Williamsburg in later books to England, New York City and Richmond, Virginia.

Reviews

[Maggi LeDuc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I maybe should have expected that a book written in 1960 would contain some uncomfortable misogyny, but somehow, sadly it still surprised me.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old-fashioned, but worthwhile read. The last sentence brought tears to my eyes.

[Katie R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this biography didn't offer any new information, the writing style-- with included much artistic license-- was quite entertaining. I would suggest this biography, though I wouldn't say it was the best. I'm not sure Martha Washington would approve of how she is portrayed. There were a few passages I really liked, such as: "they admired her courage, when courage was a word which never crossed her mind," when referring to Martha Washington's winter visits to the Continental Army's winter headquarters; yet, there were also many I didn't. I don't think of Martha Washington as being moody or passive-- I'm quite certain she was quite courageous and adamant (though in private) about her beliefs concerning the revolution and George Washington's presidency. The last chapter I found quite sad; but, I've found the end of all of the Martha Washington's biographies I've read quite sad. The way Thane writes, however, is very detailed towards Martha Washington's thoughts, and so this last chapter (and the whole biography, frankly) offered a new perspective. This biography, in a way, was more about how Martha Washington felt about George Washington, compared to other biographies that consist of what she was doing at a certain time and place in her life. A different approach always offers more insight, and for that, I'm glad I've added this to my list of read Martha Washington biographies.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in a cute, elaborate vintage style and easy to read, this is probably the best biography of Martha Washington I've ever found. All Sally Fairfax areas are handled with unusual grace and tact--so many Martha biographers want to make Sally out to be evil and seductive--and the author's grasp of personality is very strong. Martha Washington was a very bland woman and many historians have difficulty resigning themselves to her ordinariness. They try to make her out to be a fascinating or striking woman in some way--or they pick on her for being a bore. This author does neither. She tells us who Martha was, honestly and fairly. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who's a fan of the Washingtons or who's struggling with remembering the events of the American Revolution. It's like a good movie--which is always my test for an excellent biography.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a tough time with biographies - they often do not hold my attention. This was different. It was written in a way that you really see events through the eyes of Mrs. Washington, not always about Mrs. Washington. There was quite a bit about her life that I realized - and she was one of the first of the "military spouses" in our country - traveling wherever necessary to be with her husband. By the end of the war and the beginning of the Presidency, I really felt empathy for her and all she was going through. Someone else said it best - by the end - that last paragraph had me in tears. It is a true love story in between the history of our country that shaped them and very well written.

[Nina White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed her fictional books and was excited to try her non-fiction. It was a treat to read it.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The material was interesting but the manner it was written in made it slow and plodding. The last chapter was good.