Not only an engrossing story, but we'll written for history buffs. I loved it. ( )

My book club reads a lot of biographical fiction. It’s an interesting and entertaining way to learn more about a specific time, place, and person in history. This month we chose America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. With the first person POV of the main character, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, it explores the life of not only Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, but of his contemporaries and family members. The book begins when Patsy is a young girl and finishes with her later years. It is filled with historical detail that a history-nerd will love. The Revolutionary War and the early years of the nation are not time periods I generally read, but this book was fascinating in its portrayal of a young nation founded on high moral principles, yet in reality a democracy riddled with injustices. Slavery, the huge elephant in the room given Jefferson’s own ownership of slaves and his relationship with Sally Hemings, is a big part of the story. Patsy is definitely a woman of her time, and though she abhors slavery (as do many of her acquaintance) she is unable to affect any kind of meaningful change. In fact, those with the power to do so either were unsuccessful or left it to later generations. The authors do a good job of balancing the context of the time (slavery, limited rights of women and children) with an honest portrayal of the subject matter. This is Patsy’s story to tell, and I feel the authors allowed this incredible woman to tell it. Patsy was witness to so much — the American Revolution, formation of a new nation, the unfolding of the French revolution, the rise and fall of political factions — yet she was first and foremost a dutiful daughter, a committed wife, and a nurturing mother of many children. Her life was both extraordinary and ordinary, and the novel expresses that so well.

If you are a fan of early American history, then this book is definitely for you. My book club googled a lot during the reading of the book! We also had an outstanding discussion.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased Kindle ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Love this. With ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War, I tend to find it interesting to be able to read about that time and perhaps learn more of what their lives were like. This book took place a longs ways south of where my family was at then, but still...

The rights of women then, even well born women of prominent historical figures... Not to mention the fate of Sally Hemmings.... Women are so often left out of the history books, it is nice to see their perspective, even if it isn't full of roses.

Highly recommended! ( )

This book is historical fiction based on Martha "Patsy" Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson and their extended families. It is told from Patsy's perspective. As the daughter of Thomas Jefferson, she led a life atypical of a woman in the American revolutionary era; however, she was bound by the restrictions imposed on women of the time period where ultimately decisions were made by husbands and fathers. With so many women dying as the result of childbirth, people dying of now-curable diseases, not to mention the horrors of slavery, it made me very glad not to have lived during that time. I felt the authors did an excellent job of transporting me to the era and I learned quite a bit about how Jefferson's daughter made historical impact. The story weaves together many threads of the Jefferson relatives, giving insights into difficult personal decisions, politics of the time, scandals, marital difficulties, grief, mental issues, racial discrimination, alcoholism, abuse, and more. I appreciated the notes at the end giving details of the extensive research done, what was true vs. what was surmised, and various timeline changes made to help the story flow. My only issue with it was that it read as a romance novel, which was unnecessary in my opinion. Recommended to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the lives of the American founding fathers, important supporting family members, and American revolutionary and post-revolutionary time periods. ( )

In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph--a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.