My Aunt Marrow was widely regarded in her time as the Stuart family's official historian. I am therefore pleased that her memoirs, containing fascinating details about my family's history, are now being made available....Heuvel has done an excellent job of editing the original manuscript materials into an insightful and engaging narrative. -- Col. J.E.B. Stuart IV (U.S. Army, Ret.), Marrow Stuart Smith's nephew
Meticulously transcribed and annotated...a compelling account of a fascinating woman and one of Virginia's most celebrated families. Written in the 1940s, Mary Marrow Stuart Smith's recollections afford a glimpse into how twentieth century white southerners sought to make sense of the Civil War and its legacy. Perhaps more importantly, her memoir provides insight into southern white women's roles and opportunities in the fine arts and education in the early twentieth century. Smith's vivid portrayal of life in Virginia from the Gilded Age through World War II will absorb both popular audiences and scholars alike. -- Caroline E. Janney, Purdue University, author, Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies' Memorial Associations and the Lost Cause
A uniquely valuable reminiscence....Readers will be treated to a rare view of a prominent Virginia family as it experienced life from the Civil War era into the mid-twentieth century. -- Jonathan W. White, Christopher Newport University, author, Abraham Lincoln and Treason in the Civil War: The Trials of John Merryman
Heuvel has done a masterful job fashioning a seamless and absorbing narrative from my great-grandmother's autobiographical materials, and through his well-researched notes he has provided historical context and perspective. -- Drewry M. Smith IV, Marrow Stuart Smith's great-grandson
