Citizen Washington

In this extraordinary work of historical fiction, the most vivid portrait of an American hero since Gore Vidal's Lincoln, there are no white wigs, no cherry trees. Here, under the skillful hands of the New York Times bestselling author of BACK BAY and CAPE COD, the frozen face so familiar to us on the dollar bill is replaced by a passionate, complex human being: a young man more interested in acquiring land and wealth than political ideals.....a solider who blundered badly in his first experiences at war....a stepfather never to have children of his own....a budding politician who quickly learned how to play an audience, command authority, and be all things to all those who wanted so much of him. We get to know a man quick to anger but slow to take his revenge, a calculating player who outmaneuvered his most bitter enemies - and there were many - and a leader who cultivated the fervent loyalty of his juniors, displaying always the hallmark of his career: He simply refused to give up.

This tightly plotted, swiftly moving story also introduces you to a cast of historical figures and colorful new fictional ones - including a devoted slave who was privy to his master's secrets and political archenemy determined to exposes them. Meticulously researched, CITIZEN WASHINGTON reveals the "father of his country" through the eyes of his contemporaries, admirers like Hamilton and Lafayette, skeptics like Jefferson and Adams, and women like Abigail Adams and his own wife, Martha.

A novel that unravels the last riddles of Washington's life, this is an adventure of war and peace, politics and pride, and a dramatic tale of a time when a small group of citizens dared to do the impossible. On the 200th anniversary of George Washington's death, this sweeping, panoramic novel tells the story of a man who was chosen by history, chance, and personality to live at the very heart of his time - a man imbued with the imperfect, unstoppable spirit of freedom itself.