Mary Calvi gives us a different look at George Washington by using his journals, letters and historical accounts to document his relationship with Mary Philipse, a New York heiress.

We follow George through his rise in the army. Calvi shows bloody battlefields as well at eighteenth century society.

I really didn’t care for the storyline. I did not like the characters. I feel like saying his relationship with Mary might have been the “spark a flame that ignited a cause” is a little far fetched. I think there were plenty of other things to start the American Revolution over. This was really just Meh.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall I found the novel not to be believable. The writing was stilted and the dialogue/interactions were eye-roll worthy too often. I did not feel as though these were real people with real lives and feelings.

Dear George, Dear Mary is a wonderful and mostly unknown love story about our first president. It is beautifully written and full of vivid details. I hope to read more by this author in the near future.

Dear George, Dear Mary is a historical fiction novel crafted from letters, journal entries, and other sources related to George Washington and his first love, Mary Eliza Philipse.
Mary is an extremely wealthy Heiress. Along with her brother, Frederick, and her sister, Susannah, she owns 390 sq. miles of land along the Hudson River, from Manhattan Island to north of the highlands, including King Bridge- The toll bridge that connects the metropolis to the mainland. Mary is shy, reserved, and generous. She is adored by many and there is no shortage of men trying to win her over. However, Mary endured a great tragedy when she was younger, when she almost drowned in the Hudson River trying to save a young boy. The event resulted in the loss of him, as well as her mother. The trauma never left and she is still tormented by the grief.
George Washington is one of the most celebrated colonels of the colonies. George, like her, has a past marked with tragedy and struggles with anxiety and self-doubt. He is the definition of a perfectionist, having faced heartbreaking rejection when he was younger, due to his status. He is a great leader, extremely loyal, honest, and well respected. A true Hero, but humble as can be.
Then, George receives an invitation that will change everything. He travels 500 miles to New York to meet the Heiress named Mary and attend a ball. He falls in love instantly. They’re perfect for each other in every way and their romance thrives. But then, George is summoned to Winchester, VA, where he is to build a fort and he is placed in charge of construction. He promises Mary he will return to her. As time passes by, however, George starts to feel helpless and trapped in exile. He keeps submitting leave requests, only to be denied. They both write to each other, but neither receives any response. Mary continues to wait, but George never comes. She accepts another proposal and George finds out too late.
Heartbroken, he discovers has been betrayed by the very people he had been loyal to serving. He quits his command. From that minute on, The British are his enemy.
Years pass by, Mary and George have both married and live separate lives. That is until the Revolutionary War brings George back to New York, and back to Mary. With his return, old feelings surface and old secrets are exposed.
“Dear George, Dear Mary” is written more like a romance novel, so if that is your cup of tea (no pun intended) I highly recommend it. I l really enjoyed the characters as well.

Mary Philipse was one of the richest and most eligible young women in the colonies. George Washington was single and his star was rising rapidly as his accomplishments on the battlefield accumulated. They met at a celebration held in his honor at her family home, and their lives were never the same. A lifelong mutual attraction kept them both aware of the other's activities and life events.

The characters are exquisitely written and the settings are described in a manner which allows the reader to imagine precisely where the story is in any given scene. The story, based on fact uncovered in research by the author, is very well written and completely immerses the reader in this little known story in our country's history. An utterly absorbing book that will be greatly enjoyed by anyone who enjoys a good romance coupled with a fascinating historical story line.

Very strongly recommend.

This is my honest opinion upon completion of an ARC of this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the author Mary Calvi and the publisher St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I wanted to read this as soon as I heard about it. The author is a local newscaster. Enjoyable book with info from exactly documents include within the story.

DNF

I was excited for this book because I had never heard of Mary (Washington's first love) before and I enjoy historical fiction that's based on true stories (The Romanov Empress, The Aviator's Wife, Paper Hearts). However, Dear George, Dear Mary felt over dramatized and had too many flowery prose for my liking.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A fascinating novel featuring George Washington's first love, New York heiress Mary Philipse, the richest belle in Colonial America.
Dear George, Dear Mary is the result of hundreds of letters, witness accounts, and journal entries. Elegant descriptions of eighteenth century life from ballrooms to the bloody battlefields.
I had never heard of Mary Philipse before I read this book and though this is fiction I will look her up to read more about her and her fascinating life.
Published February 19th 2019.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dear George, Dear Mary
A Novel of George Washington’s First Love


A heartbreaking love story intertwined with George Washington’s military exploits

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
This ill-fated love story between New York heiress Mary Eliza Philipse with George Washington is based on historical accounts, letters, and personal journals. Twenty-four-year-old Washington has just been appointed Colonel of the Virginia Regiment and commander-in-chief of all forces of the colony. Mary is rich and ravishingly beautiful, but she is haunted by the loss of her parents, her sister, and a childhood friend. She finds each day at the manor house on the Hudson River, a struggle to survive. On Valentines Day, 1756, Mary’s family hosts a special evening of music and dancing for over two hundred friends. The purpose of the event was to introduce a reluctant Mary, also known as the Belle of the North to the handsome, brave and heroic Colonel Washington. By the end of this special evening the two had fallen in love.

“You are capable of the impossible, for you have survived the unthinkable.”


REVIEW
DEAR GEORGE, DEAR MARY is a heartbreaking love story, intertwined with Washington’s military exploits. This is one of those historical fiction novels that leaves you scratching your head. What is fact and what is fiction? Undoubtedly, Washington’s quotes, military deployments, and journal entries, are all factual. But what about George’s feelings about Mary, and the reference that couple’s unrequited love sparked a flame that ignited a cause that became the American Revolution. Seriously...

From the title I was totally expecting that the book would contain the content of the actual letters between, George and Mary. It did not. But it did a great job of giving us a look at pre-Revolutionary war society. It is evident that much research went into the book. One of the things I loved was how author MARY CALVI cleverly weaves many of George’s 110 rules of correct behavior into relevant scenes in the book.

Calvi’s writing is beautifully descriptive and I absolutely fell in love with Mary Philipse. Calvi is a nine time New York Emmy award-winning journalist. She is a television news anchor in New York City. This is her debut novel. Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Mary Calvi for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I am a woman who knows a good fortune does not necessitate the yearning for a husband.”

Publisher St. Martins Press
Published February 19, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Mary Calvi gave historical fiction fans a book like no other with her debut novel Dear George, Dear Mary. When we think of George Washington we think of a great man that rose to lead a new country but we don't think of the man he had to become to be legendary. This unique take of his ill fated love with Mary Philipse engulfs the reader and doesn't let go right till the very end. It left me in deep thought of how one person can control so much of another person's life by just one small act. I knew that George married Martha but I found myself wanting George and Mary to find their way to each other. I was so engulfed in the story that when this didn't happened I wondered why Mary did what she did. This fascinating book makes you as a reader wonder just how far a person is willing to go for love and revenge. Would you start a war to get back at the man that stole your sole mate? I absolutely loved the idea that regardless of what we were taught a piece of George did just that. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC to review.

Dear George, Dear Mary by

Mary Calvi tells the love-story between George Washington and Mary Eliza Philipse. The author in the preface added that she wanted to write a fictional book and not an essay for fascinating much more the newest generations about these two young people who lived in the 1700s.

The first time George Washington met Mary, 21 years old was on February 14th.

The book will be particularly attractive to my point of view to all that men and women in love for wars, policy.

There is not a lot of romanticism, after all in fact.


You will be catapulted in the life of a general and in a lot of military history. Of course no one can disconnect someone like George Washington from his first role, as general, politician, President.
At the end a rich bibliography if you are interested to develop some topics treated in the book, and if you want to discover much more about George Washington.

Recommended to men and women interested in military history.

I thank NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this digital copy.

Dear George, Dear Mary tells the story of George Washington’s ill-fated romance with Mary Philipse. Mary is a young, rich, and beautiful New York socialite that is traumatized by her past. One day, she meets a young colonel named George Washington, who gentle understanding help her heal from past tragic events. One day. George is called away, and he never returns. Thinking that George has abandoned her, Mary marries another. However, Mary will always keep him in her heart.

I didn’t know that before Martha Washington, there was another woman in George’s life. I was a bit hesitant reading this because I admire Martha, and I didn’t want George to fall in love with anyone besides her. After reading Dear George, Dear Mary, I found the relationship between George and Mary so tragic that I kept wondering what would happen had they ended up together.

Mary Philipse is a very sympathetic and a pitiful character. Even though she was on the edge on womanhood when the novel begins, she has already suffered many misfortunes. She believe that she was responsible for her mother’s death and can never overcome her guilt. This leads her to be very melancholic and often she contemplates death. When she meets George, she loves him because of his straightforwardness and understanding. He helps her learn to heal her old wounds. Throughout the novel, Mary tries to move past the tragedies that have occured in her life and live a life of peace. Thus, Mary is a very relatable and realistic character because she is trying to come to terms with herself.

I also thought George was a remarkable character. I have always admired him. However, this novel makes him more understandable. George is very honest and compassionate. He is also dutiful and loyal to his country. America is his main priority and makes many sacrifices, including delaying his courtship with Mary, to serve the new colony. Thus, it was very refreshing to see George Washington as a young, energetic man and how he matures into a formidable general.

Overall, this novel is about misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and love. Though there were some cartoonish villains in the novel, I thought the rest of the characters were very realistic. The writing was very eloquent and gave us many sumptuous details of Colonial America. The only thing I did not like about this novel was that the ending seemed very rushed and abrupt. Still, I recommend this novel for those who want to read about young love. Dear George, Dear Mary is perfect for fans of Jefferson’s Daughter, Patriot Hearts, and I, Eliza Hamilton.

A lot of research went into the writing of George Washington and his first love, Mary Eliza Philipse in the 1850's. Never having heard of the woman "before Martha ", I was quite intrigued. The author illustrates a young man on the rise in the army and the people that loved him and were jealous of him. Mary Eliza Philipse was the "belle of the North " and when she meets the dashing army officer it is a deep love. However a darkness surrounds Mary that may threaten their relationship. What really did stop them from marrying?

This was undoubtedly a very tough follow up to My Dear Hamilton, which I started reading at the same time. I made the decision to put this arc aside and read a variety of other books before returning to it again. Let me be frank, I just couldn't help the comparisons to those two books. I fell for Eliza and Alexander Hamilton and how they were presented by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. But George and Mary, I just never could bring myself there. Yet, I feel that Mary Calvi does her utmost best to give them back stories. However, the result of my own reading made me feel little empathy and a lot of uncertainty.

As I mentioned in my beginning paragraph, I stated there was a lot of research. There is, the end of the novel does list the various letters, papers, and books to help further our understanding of the relationship between these two people. Personally, I don't feel curious enough to pursue it any longer.

I found this story quite interesting in that it gave the reader a different picture of George Washington. His 150 rules of conduct were obviously something he tried very hard to live by, and they all appeared to be supported by either common sense or good morals.

It was obvious that Calvi's historical research for this book was plentiful, yet it was difficult to determine what was really fact and what was fiction. We always seem to look at Washington either from a military or presidential point of view, and this book did make him seem more human. It is easy to imagine him as a young man being swept away by a beautiful young lady who was at ease with him since his immediate family was all gone other than a sister in law. I would find it debatable though that he kept up a relationship with her after his marriage to Martha or that he joined the Patriots because he couldn't marry her. I feel he became very frustrated with his lack of progress when serving with the British forces and that, as well as the treatment of the new country by Britain, were his reasons behind his switch in loyalty. His treatment of Mary during the Battles was IMHO due to his previous relationship with her as well as his "150 rules of courtesy."

Generally an interesting read that I would recommend for a different perspective of our first president.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi tells the intriguing story of George Washington’s first love. Interspersed with excepts from Washington’s journals and writings, the romance is set against the evolving character of the iconic president. While it is evident that the basic facts are accurate in that Mary and George met, corresponded, it is difficult to tell where the historian stopped, and the novelist began. I truly wished that the author had provided chapter notes for the readers that might have wanted more transparency into the process by which fiction and history are woven together.

Calvi is a talented writer whose descriptions of the land and characters are mesmerizing. At times, the dialogue seemed stilted and flowery. I wondered if this was attributable to the author’s adherence to the speech patterns of the historical period or for some other reason.
One other aspect seemed extraordinarily out of character with the times; Mary Eliza, a young heiress of an upper class and highly esteemed family, seemed to have an enormous amount of freedom to engage in a romantic relationship with the young Washington, absent any supervision or chaperones.

I enjoyed the story, and my interest in George Washington was definitely sparked. I am looking forward to reading at least one of the biographies that are available. Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi tells the intriguing story of George Washington’s first love. Interspersed with excepts from Washington’s journals and writings, the romance is set against the evolving character of the iconic president. While it is evident that the basic facts are accurate in that Mary and George met, corresponded, it is difficult to tell where the historian stopped, and the novelist began. I truly wished that the author had provided chapter notes for the readers that might have wanted more transparency into the process by which fiction and history are woven together.

Calvi is a talented writer whose descriptions of the land and characters are mesmerizing. At times, the dialogue seemed stilted and flowery. I wondered if this was attributable to the author’s adherence to the speech patterns of the historical period or for some other reason.
One other aspect seemed extraordinarily out of character with the times; Mary Eliza, a young heiress of an upper class and highly esteemed family, seemed to have an enormous amount of freedom to engage in a romantic relationship with the young Washington, absent any supervision or chaperones.

I enjoyed the story, and my interest in George Washington was definitely sparked. I am looking forward to reading at least one of the biographies that are available. Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi tells the intriguing story of George Washington’s first love. Interspersed with excepts from Washington’s journals and writings, the romance is set against the evolving character of the iconic president. While it is evident that the basic facts are accurate in that Mary and George met, corresponded, it is difficult to tell where the historian stopped, and the novelist began. I truly wished that the author had provided chapter notes for the readers that might have wanted more transparency into the process by which fiction and history are woven together.

Calvi is a talented writer whose descriptions of the land and characters are mesmerizing. At times, the dialogue seemed stilted and flowery. I wondered if this was attributable to the author’s adherence to the speech patterns of the historical period or for some other reason.
One other aspect seemed extraordinarily out of character with the times; Mary Eliza, a young heiress of an upper class and highly esteemed family, seemed to have an enormous amount of freedom to engage in a romantic relationship with the young Washington, absent any supervision or chaperones.

I enjoyed the story, and my interest in George Washington was definitely sparked. I am looking forward to reading at least one of the biographies that are available. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi is a fabulous read that is part history part historical fiction regarding George Washington and his first love Mary Eliza Philipse. Ms. Calvi was fantastic in weaving in bits and pieces to give us a romantic and heart-wrenching story that made us feel as if we were truly there.
I did not feel anything was misplaced or far-fetched. Everything that was written seems to be just right.

5stars. A must-read.
Thank you NetGalley in allowing me to read this gem in return for my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review. That being said, this book wasn’t for me. I expected it to be more correspondence between George and Mary with the love letters and I was intrigued to read because of that. Much if the story felt like reading a textbook, where I wanted more storyline.

I really enjoyed reading about Mary Philipse, as I didn’t know anything about her before reading this, but overall just couldn’t get behind her and George’s relationship because it felt so disjointed with their many hiatuses.

This book may be great for others, but just not my normal historical cup of tea. I prefer more of a developed story and less historical facts.

This was a different perspective on George Washington. A military man, a war hero, the Father of our country. I never thought much about his life other than during the Revolutionary War. Of course, he was human with his likes, dislikes and love. This time period in history happens to be among my favorites, yet this book didn't appeal to me, I felt it was too dry. It might be that I was looking for something a bit more "personal" in nature. However, I do appreciate the author's research and for that reason, I based my review giving the book 3 stars. Perhaps because he was a military man, he really didn't have the time to devote to Mary Eliza Philipse. Perhaps, even after all the years, the love they both shared with one another had changed. Honestly, we'll never know!

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is breathtaking. Mary Calvi uses beautiful language in her descriptions and captures the first flutters of love perfectly. In fact, it almost felt as if I were falling in love with George Washington myself. Calvi accomplishes in her novel what I think is the most important for a work of fiction based on a real person: she made him seem real. Going into this book, I viewed Washington as a historical figure, but one for whom I had a soft spot because he was a fellow Virginian. After reading Dear George, Dear Mary, I feel even more connected to him because, whether all of the emotions expressed in the novel were truly his or not, I felt with and for him through reading his words. How Calvi made a whole, gripping novel out of letters she read between Washington and Mary Eliza Philipse is inspiring, to say the least. She did an excellent job here. I was expecting something mediocre and got something great and memorable instead.

I loved how certain little things are treated as an “if you know, you know” kind of thing, without any extra explanation. If you remember certain things from history class, it feels like you’re in a secret club. I also loved the cameos of other famous figures from history, namely Alexander Hamilton and Nathan Hale. I’m glad Calvi didn’t go into a lot of detail explaining different events and matters of historical importance because, to the characters in the novel, they were just things that had happened. George even says at one point,

One’s character is rarely drawn until decades, even centuries, after the sphere of action has long come to a conclusion. (Loc 2605)

The same is true for history. They didn’t know that even some of their smallest, most insignificant statements or actions would be remembered hundreds of years later — just as Mary could not have known that if she’d waited just a little while longer, George would have returned to her from Virginia.

At the end of the novel we are left with a sad truth that can be seen throughout history: the plight of women who suffer because of the men in their lives. Mary becomes a traitor because her husband is one. It doesn’t really matter what she thinks or does. Because Roger Morris is a traitor, so too is Mrs. Roger Morris. She didn’t get to see George again in time before her wedding to Morris because other men were keeping secrets, hiding letters, and holding the pertinent people back. But Calvi does bring out the positive in Mary’s sad situation, because, after years of believing she was cursing those she loved to their deaths, Mary changes her perspective:

They called her traitor. She’d refuse the title.

They showed her hatred. She’d find love.

They took everything, leaving her not even a pence in her pocket, but she knew that no being can be poor who is rich in spirit. […]

She realized her truth and knew now exactly what she was. She was Mary Eliza, and she was enough. As long as there was breath on her lips, she decided right then, she would live. (Loc 4747 – 4755)

I loved Mary Eliza more for this realization. I found myself tearful and cheering her on in my heart.

The only thing that takes away from this book is that some parts were a little hard to follow, which is why I knocked a bit off my rating. I don’t know if that’s fixed in the final edition, or if that’s just how it’s going to be.

The book is marketed as a love story that may or may not have sparked the American Revolution. That obviously requires a stretch of the imagination, given the state of the relations between the colonies and Great Britain at the time, but I’m also aware that Calvi may not have had much to do with that description. In my reading, I didn’t get that message from the book, only in the blurb, and I am thankful for that.

This richly detailed and fascinating historical fiction novel tells the little known, ill-fated love story of George Washington and New York heiress Mary Eliza Philipse. Using letters and journal entries, Mary Calvi creates an incredible sense of place and history. Despite knowing that George Washington eventually marries Martha Dandridge, the reader can not help but hold out hope for these two protagonists. Whether it is fate or the British forces that work to keep them apart, the love story of George and Mary is bittersweet.

This is a wonderful novel for fans of historical fiction and especially those interested in our founding fathers. Romance readers will also find plenty to love about this well researched and beautifully portrayed relationship.