Washington's Lady

April 21, 2008
Popular historical novelist Moser (Mozart's Sister
; Just Jane
) turns to Martha Custis Washington in an uncharacteristically slow, unimaginative tale. Moser opens with the death of Martha's first husband and her subsequent marriage to George. When the Revolution commences, Martha is forced to flee Mount Vernon, and Loyalist newspapers claim that she has abandoned the Patriot cause. Moser, who cut her literary teeth on Christian fiction, depicts religious faith throughout: we see Martha attending church, offering up the occasional prayer, devotedly loving her husband and caring for her children. The description of the death of her daughter, Patsy, is especially moving. The novel focuses on the Washingtons' early marriage and experiences during the war. After the Revolution ends, Moser briefly describes George's election as president, and then fast-forwards 11 years to his death. Unfortunately, the novel lacks a real plot; there is no central conflict that demands resolution. The historical details—such as Lafayette's joining the family as “another son”—are accurate enough, but Moser never fully plunges readers into an earlier world.