Linda Trader

Couldn't put this book down. The story was well-researched and the structure clear and easy to follow. They're right, this story is not for the queasy. ( and if you're tempted to look up the youtube videos mentioned, which of course I did, right away, resist the temptation). I learned a lot and will remember this book for a long time. Have already recommended it to lots of friends.

I knew as much about George Washington as the average person, so hoped this book would fill in my knowledge gaps, and did it ever. By the time I got to the end (40 hours later) I was sad when George died even though it was 200 years ago! This book gave me a lot to think about, from the issue of slavery (how different would our world have been) to the choices that George Washington made ( stepping down from power in a precedent setting way). It's a big book but by the time I got to the end I wasn't quite ready for the story to close.

I'd never heard of the author before reading the book, but chose it because I liked the premise of building the story around letters to his mom. His childhood wasn't wildly dysfunctional enough to make for a great story ( like 'Running with Scissors' or ' The Glass Castle') and when it comes to writing, let's just say he's no Michael Perry, who can make you laugh out loud on one page and move you to tears on the next. If I was already a fan of Greg Fitzsimmons, I might have liked the book more.