The Lee Girls

This book is a well written and very well documented account of the four Lee daughters. Most of us are aware of the generals and battles of the Civil War. This book gives an insightful look into the lives of women during this time period. The author gives us an accurate account of the attitudes and behaviors of the time even when they are not currently acceptable. She also portrays the individuals in a very balanced manner. You realize that aside from being a prominent military family they are also a loving family with the struggles and triumphs all families share.

Anyone interested in Robert E. Lee the man, will be delighted with the insights into his family provided by author Coulling. Lee was an exceptional leader, but his role as a father was even more revealing of his loving nature and the nuances of his personality. In my opinion, this book does a lot to demystify Lee. I do not see him as such a complex and mysterious individual as some historians have labeled him. His consistency is especially evident in this chronicle of family life.Apart from Lee, the book focuses extensively on the lives of the daughters. Each daughter is portrayed as a complete person, and their individuality is celebrated. One can learn quite a bit about Mary Lee the mother, too, and even the grandparents who were so deeply loved by the girls. The sons are not ignored, either.There is an overcast of sadness about the story, at least I felt a little sad, because they did have a difficult life. It's true that the Lee family was prominent in society and certainly they can be seen as privileged, but these privileges carry their own burden.I highly recommend The Lee Girls to all those who want to escape to the past for awhile and enter into the Lee household.

The Lee Girls by biographer Mary P. Coulling is the informed and informative story of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's four daughters: Mary Custis Lee; Eleanor Agnes Lee; Mildred Childe Lee; and Anne Carter Lee. Diaries, letters, paintings, and other contemporary records were utilized as primary source materials upon which to base an bibliographically historically accurate narrative of these women's lives through girlhood, the horror of war, and the era of reconciliation and rebuilding. A truly excellent and well balanced chronicle, The Lee Girls is a welcome and highly recommended addition to American Regional History, Civil War Studies, and Reconstruction Era Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.

Enjoyed the time frame of the book. It was not just the girls during the civil war period but also gave attention to the sons as well. The black and white photos were a plus but I wish the author had featured photos of the two surviving daughters in later life. This is an excellent well researched book into the lives of four charming girls of American history.

This book gives a glimpse of the correspondence between Robert E. Lee and his wife and daughters. As a Virginian, it was even more personal to read about the areas of the state where his family travelled to escape the ravages of the war and to know that these are still beautiful sites, worth visiting even today. It was a poignant look at this great general's love for his family.