First published 2020
Mary Ball Washington stands as one of history's most contradictory maternal figures. This aristocratic widow raised six children alone while managing a large Virginia farm, yet she clung to Old World traditions even as her eldest son George embraced the colonial cause. From George's early days as a surveyor through his military rise, Mary fought against his ambitions at every turn. She discouraged his surveying work and tried to prevent his army service, viewing the American experiment with suspicion. Her overprotective nature created constant friction between mother and son. Mary possessed the same strength and stubborn independence she passed to George, but she used these qualities to restrain rather than encourage him. This ongoing struggle between protective mother and ambitious son forged George's character through resistance. Their relationship reveals how the future president learned to fight for independence first at home, then for a nation.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, non-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Virginia
Period: 18th-century
368 pages · Paperback · HarperPb