Sam Houston's Wife: A Biography of Margaret Lea Houston

I do not usually read a lot of history books but found this booking very interesting and a very easy read. Recently I ran across this book again and reread it and enjoyed it just as much the second time. I really enjoy William Seale's style of writing.

A disclaimer to start with: I am a member of the Lea family, descended from Mrs. Houston's brother, Henry Clinton Lea, so I had a particular interest in this book about my great-great-great aunt (whew!). This was one of the great romantic stores of the century, starting when a 17-year-old Margaret Lea first sighted Houston in New Orleans, where she watched him from among a crowd. She married him when he was 48 and she was barely 21, in the face of opposition from her family. I was delighted with the degree of historical accuracy I found in the book, as well as finding it an enjoyable "read". Mr. Seale includes the sort of family anecdotes that make biography come alive as well as throwing a new light on the personality of Sam Houston. The mythical hero of San Jacinto was also a husband and father, and his life with Margaret had profound effects on his public life. To read about Margaret, her mother and siblings gives a fascinating window on the life of a Southern family during the era of Westward expansion. Seale also clears up some fun but apocryphal tales about the romance. Too bad, really, but I guess the fanciful among us can go on believing my great-g-g-grandmother actually said "My daughter goes forth in the world to marry no man." if we want to