Casey knows a lot about this time period but I personally didn’t know much history about Martha and George Washington other than the highlights and it was nice to dive in and learn more!
This is a love story between George and Martha. They seemed to share a deep and true love for each other. Betty Boltè did a great job describing what it was like back in the mid-late 1700’s. I could really imagine being in that time period based on her descriptions. Martha endured great heartbreak through the many deaths of those near and dear to her. Her one heart’s desire was to have a household full of children...one that sadly did not turn out the way she had hoped and dreamed of. I almost felt an overwhelming sadness due to the astonishing number of deaths throughout her lifetime while reading this story. I also struggled with the fact that the Washingtons did own many slaves. While they seemingly treated them well, it was frustrating that they didn’t release them to their freedom. George Washington was somewhat vocal about his frustration with slavery but chose not to release his slaves until after Martha’s death (he died before Martha and in his will, he released his slaves upon her death).
I debated on discussing slavery in this review but ultimately decided that we can’t be silent on what happened in the past and what happens in the present and future. We must continue to learn from past mistakes and atrocities and strive to make a better today and tomorrow.
Comments