The novel follows the 50-year relationship between the two women, going back and forth between the perspective of both women. Starting from the time Mary becomes engaged to Lee, while Selina is still a child, we continue to see how their lives intermingle all they way through and past the Civil War.
“Mrs. Lee & Mrs. Gray” is an amazing, well-researched piece of historical fiction, bringing these characters back to life. It is a tale of friendship and heroism and loyalty and duty. Although misguided at times, both women have a strong sense of moral decency and courage.
Ms. Love does a great job at getting to the true depths of these characters. As a person who grew up in the North all my life, she does a great job of presenting the “other side of the story” to me — helping me to see the struggles southerners had, including their struggles against slavery and the decision to enter the Civil War … even important players in the war like Robert E. Lee. Ms. Love does a great job humanizing these people — they aren’t just characters taken from the pages of history books. They were real people with real struggles and real emotions, and she does an amazing job portraying that.
Anyone who loves history in general, the Civil War, the battle against slavery, and the Antebellum life will love “Mrs. Lee & Mrs. Gray.”
Five stars out of five.
Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.