Customer Reviews

The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant)

5 star:		(10)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Julia Dent Grant is sadly an almost forgotten figure in American history, but her book is a fascinating, intimate journey into the heart and soul of a 19th century woman. Julia and Ulysses Grant shared a mythical love which transcends time and retains an uncommon vibrancy. The book was written in the 1890's but was never published until 1975, yet the narrative is surprisingly modern and engaging. No shrinking violet, Julia wrote as she lived: with an open intensity and irreverence which is oftentimes hilarious. She rarely masks her feelings and says exactly what she thinks. The most engrossing portions of her book relate to her life with General Grant. Their courtship had been strained by a 4 year separation, followed by another 2 year period when Grant was stationed alone in California. When the Grants were together all was merry, but when apart, his spirits hit the skids. Grant was emotionally beholden to his wife to a rare degree and she gaily capitalized on his need. Julia herself was exceedingly plain and knew it. It pained her that her unfortunate physical appearence allowed her scant latitude in society and others gossiped about her defects. Incredibly, General Grant never seemed to notice or care that his wife was a plain Jane and behaved in a most uxorious manner when in her company. Whatever complexes Julia had about her appearence, she reveled in Grant's fame and the reflected glory it cast upon her. Julia's book is entertaining and significant for all history buffs and it is a notable addition to women's literature of the 19th century. It is as if she was sitting in a rocking chair, sewing basket on her lap, chatting informally about the Union's greatest General and America's most underrated hero. Truly a grand book.

I finally bought this book of which I'd hear so much and I was not disappointed. For those of you who enjoy true romances, here is a real life romance of the highest and most passionate order. As a scholar of the Victorian era in the United States, most women of that era did not write like Julia Dent Grant, or express themselves in such tones. Her great love and attraction for her 'hero husband' is made evident throughout and in a most delightful way. The faults of the book are that she concentrates a little too much on their trip after he left the Presidency, and also I would have liked to have heard more about the Presidency itself. She rather glosses over that. Of course she is partial for her husband and makes plain they enjoyed each other thoroughly in wartime, peactime and in the bedroom. I really liked this book and for all fans of Ulys... RUN, don't walk to buy this superlative look into his life/

I was thrilled to discover the existence of this book and equally thrilled at the opportunity to see into the lives of the Grants from Mrs. Grant's point of view.

Throughout her Memoirs, Mrs. Grant's love and devotion to her husband and family are apparent. Equally apparent is the evidence that her affection was completely reciprocated. Not highly educated by modern standards, Mrs. Grant's sharp perception provides a unique glimpse into the personal life of her family and the issues that shaped her destiny. She was born the daughter of a Missouri planter, raised among slaves and southern society belles. Yet, during the Civil War, her devotion to her husband led her to become one of the most vocal proponents of preserving the Union among all her aquaintances. Amazingly, she was with the general during much of the war; in St. Louis before Vicksburg and in Virginia prior to the surrender of Lee at Appomatox Courthouse. Her presence helped ease the extreme pressure placed on her husband from Washington demands for quick victory in Virginia.

The memoir also describes the Grant's occupation of the White House during the Grant Administration and the world tour of the Grants following her husband's presidency. Many details describe table linens and ladies fashion of the time, an important concern for a woman of Mrs. Grant's position, but not so for the woman of today. Still, this memoir is a wonderful addition to my library and will be a valuable addition to the collection of anyone interested in understanding the views of nineteenth century women and Mrs. Grant in particular.

This fascinating autobiography is a must-read for anyone wanting a personal view not only of Ulysses Grant, but of his all-too-often ignored and underrated wife. Julia Grant's memoir is an unusually frank and entertaining visit with her unique, delightfully engaging personality--she was a far cry from the rather sour-looking, unprepossessing image one gets from her photographs.

One thing I found particularly fascinating about her book--something previous reviewers have strangely overlooked--is the inadvertent way she reveals not only Grant's many virtues, but his faults as well. Grant's cold, affection-starved upbringing left him emotionally immature in certain ways. Julia's candid style depicts her husband as sometimes capable of being pig-headed, uncommunicative, and remarkably insensitive to her feelings, while his usually charming sense of humor could take on a childishly cruel edge. This warts-and-all look at the man is a refreshing change from the uncritical, unbelievable hagiography found in most contemporary accounts of Grant. In short, this book is a psychological gold mine!

This is a marvelous book which really throws light on the loving relationship between General and Mrs. US Grant. These two were made for each other and weathered many storms in their nearly 40 year marriage. Julia narrates her story with much humor and perception and it's refreshing that she wrote exactly what she thought. So rare in that Victorian era.

Julia obviously adored her husband and uses many Freudian images to describe him and their happy marriage. Read her description of their honeymoon, which makes it obvious this was one happy and well-satisfied woman in and out of the bedroom.

A great book and a fun book to read!

For those researching Victorian women as well as trying to understand U.S. Grant, this book is an eye opener. Julia's slices of Victorian life during her youth are illuminating. Most importantly, the book is a celebration of her life with Grant especially the war years. A plus is the fact that Julia employs a tight, but descriptive style that avoids the mistakes of many of her contemporaries. Gets a top berth on my book shelf where it will often be used as a reference source.

Sadly Julia Dent Grant is little remembered in history today and in her lifetime this remarkable and bright woman placed herself so dutifully in the shadow of her great husband that even in her own time she was not given her proper due. Ever a loving mother and wife, Mrs. Grant was also gifted with many other talents: those of the observer, those of the writer, and most of all the gift of a storyteller.

Mrs. Grant's remembrances of her life and half-century marriage to the President cover her happy childhood in Missouri, the early years in the Grant household, her husband's time as a career soldier and later a struggling businessman in Illinois, and take us into the Civil War years as no one else ever has before. She describes her friendships with a number of southern ladies, her feeling toward the Lincoln's (she admired the President yet found his wife difficult, petty, and unstable) and details the private side of number of figures from that period. Most of all she relates anecdotes that capture the courage, acumen and generosity of her husband as he dealt with foe and comrade alike. The Grant she writes of was a fine man indeed.

There is one feature I noticed right off in Mrs. Grant's book and that is her uneven pacing. By this I mean that she dedicates a large amount of space to some events but only a small amount to others, even though one would think they may be of greater importance to history. Mrs. Grant writes as often and in as much detail on the selection and furnishing of her houses as she does on the Civil War. She dedicates scant ink to the (unhappy) Grant Presidency but then allocates fully half the book to a trip to Europe and the Near East her family takes after leaving public life in 1876. I have no real complaints about this, since this recollection by a great woman behind a great man is never boring, and indeed her account of time among the sites and figures of 1870's Europe was a delight in itself, but I was surprised she chose to plot her memoir this way.

I wish both Mrs. Grant and her memoir were better known in the 21st century and I hope this review in some small way might contribute to that.

I read General Grant's Memoirs and enjoyed them so much, I thought I'd have a go at his wife's Memoirs. I am glad I did. This is an unexpected and rare treasure. I have read so many other books from the Victorian-era that are stuffy, stilted and uptight. This book is none of these things. Julia Grant is an interesting woman with a very sharp sense of humor. You can see why General Grant was so in love with her.

That's the thing that impressed me the most. This book is a real-life love story, about two people who remained in love (and one gathers, "in lust") with one another from day one until Grant died. Julia lets the reader know very well that she loved him and he loved her. I think this is more of a woman's book than a man's book, but I give it my highest recommendation!

I really recommend this book to anyone who likes US Grant or the civil war. I didn't think Mrs. Grant's book would be interesting, but I could not put it down. The way she describes her husband shows a very deep love and attraction for him. I didn't think people of that age were as open with their feelings, but this gal sure was. She was so frank in expressing her feelings for Grant, no wonder he followed her around like a lovesick calf.

She even hints about the physical side of their union, which was incredible since she wrote it 100 years ago. I think anyone would love this book, Mrs. Grant writes well and is quite funny and entertaining. I give this book a solid "10."

The most prolific editor of Grant-ology does a tremendous job pulling together Julia Dent Grant's manuscript. I would have liked to have had her get into more depth on certain issues, but what can you do, she's been gone for some time now. This is ultimately an insightful look into one of the more interesting first ladies, and a wonderful source of information about what went into making Ulysses S. Grant.