Longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Ulysses S. Grant reflects on the crucial moments of his life as a husband, a father, a general, and a president while writing his memoirs and reckoning with his complicated legacy in this epic and intimate work of “superb historical fiction” (Booklist, starred review).
Barely able to walk and rendered mute by the cancer metastasizing in his throat, Ulysses S. Grant is scratching out words, hour after hour, day after day. Desperate to complete his memoirs before his death so his family might have some financial security and he some redemption, Grant journeys back in time.
He had once been the savior of the Union, the general to whom Lee surrendered at Appomattox, a twice-elected president who fought for the civil rights of Black Americans and against the rising Ku Klux Klan, a plain farmer-turned-business magnate who lost everything to a Wall Street swindler, a devoted husband to his wife Julia, and a loving father to four children. In this gorgeously rendered and moving novel, Grant rises from the page in all of his contradictions and foibles, his failures and triumphs.
Moving from blood-stained battlefields to Gilded Age New York, the novel explores how Grant’s own views on race and Reconstruction changed over time. “A graceful, moving narrative” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) from historical fiction master Jon Clinch, this evocatively crafted novel breathes fresh life into an American icon.

- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Subtopic
Literature GeneralIndex
LiteratureTable of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Chapter 1: 1843: The Canary
- Chapter 2: 1856: Hardscrabble
- Chapter 3: 1862: The Cigar
- Chapter 4: 1863: The Wrong Side of a Miracle
- Chapter 5: 1865: City Point
- Chapter 6: 1862: Revelations
- Chapter 7: 1865: The Package—Part One
- Chapter 8: 1865: The Package—Part Two
- Chapter 9: 1867: Dent
- Chapter 10: 1875: Santo Domingo
- Chapter 11: 1882: Vigilance
- Chapter 12: 1881–1882: Seduction
- Chapter 13: 1883: Accounting
- Chapter 14: 1884: Revelation
- Chapter 15: 1884: Tribute and Transition
- Chapter 16: 1884: Work
- Chapter 17: 1885: Clemens
- Chapter 18: 1885: The Agreement
- Chapter 19: 1885: The Peach
- Chapter 20: 1885: Faith
- Chapter 21: 1885: Processional
- Postlude: Manhattan
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Copyright
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access The General and Julia by Jon Clinch in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Literature General. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.