I have always had a keen interest in Martha Washington and her family. Last year I listened to all the Intertwined podcasts about the family and the lives of those who lived and worked on Mount Vernon. It ignited my passion for learning more, especially about the Curtis grandchildren. Then this book came out. Fortuitous timing!
I loved all the details provided by Good. I poured through her notes and bibliography, almost more than the text.
It’s a great contribution to all readers who inquire about the next generation and what happened.

Some apples do fall far from the tree. Some fall far from the tree and then roll down the hill and get muddy. In fact, some weren't actually apples at all but oranges the entire time pretending to be apples. Okay, I'll stop torturing the metaphor. The apples are the Custis kids who may be better known as the stepchildren of George Washington. Actually, they aren't known much at all which is why Cassandra Good did the dirty work for all of us and wrote First Family.

Good's book fills in so many holes for me as an American history nerd. Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, is one of my favorite places on the planet. I have often looked at the names on the headstones around Washington's tomb and wondered, "Who the heck is Bushrod?" It turns out, Bushrod was a lot more like Washington than the Custis children. Good dives deep into the Custis clan and follows each sibling as they disappoint, aggravate, and then try to profit off their association with the Father of the United States.

You may be asking why on Earth should you read about these people who are clearly not getting a ringing endorsement from me. I don't like them, but I did love the research and the storytelling done by Good for this book. It's an easy read, deeply investigated, but does not overstay it's welcome. Good also takes the time to highlight the lives of the people living on Mount Vernon who didn't have the choice to leave. It's this type of well-rounded storytelling which makes this a must read for anyone interested in American history.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by the author and HTP Books.)

If you like American History or just really enjoy anything written about George Washington this book is for you. There were facts in this book that I never knew about George Washington's family. I liked how the author took a closer look at the generations that followed him as well as those who were there with him during his time in our nation's history. The writing held my attention and kept me reading and wanting to know what was going to happen next. Overall, a great book with interesting facts.

The “First Family” features George Washington’s adopted Custis, step grandchildren. Not well known, the Custis children and grandchildren related to Washington, by marriage and not blood relations, were fierce supporters and defenders of our first President! Martha Washington’s only surviving child, John Parke Custis or Jacky, and his wife Eleanor, had four children that were close to their step grandfather! Two grandchildren in particular were raised personally by George and Martha: Nelly and Wash. The author. Good, follows the lives of his step grandchildren and their quest to keep President Washington’s legacy alive by keepers of his relics and political views! This book is intriguing and enlightening, following the little known lives of the Custis family, and later another relative, of Washington married to a Custis: Robert E. Lee! A must read for history enthusiasts and George Washington admirers!