My Dear Hamilton

This book was AMAZING! I have read several historical romances detailing the relationship of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schulyer, and this is by far my favorite. Stephanie Dray captures the perfect blend of history, romance and character development, using Alex’s past as an illegitimate child throughout the novel and his insecurities to inform the choices he makes throughout his adult life. It’s so well-developed through Eliza’s perspective, and focuses not only on Hamilton’s mistakes, but his emotional state, his insecurities, and their growth in their marriage, as well as a deep and abiding love, which makes it very, very enjoyable from the perspective of a romance read, despite the historical facts which cannot be refuted. show more

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

Thanks to Ron Chernow’s award-winning biography and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning musical, interest in the historical figure of Alexander Hamilton has experienced a rebirth in recent years. Many have also fallen in love with his wife Eliza who endured much for the birth of America – a revolutionary war, the country’s first sex scandal, deadly duels impacting her family, whispers and improprieties, a hostile post-revolution political environment, and fifty years of being a widow. However, the historical record is strikingly silent with first-hand data from her directly. Thus, we are left to imagine what her life had been life.

Along with Tilar Mizzeo’s recent work, this work seeks to fill that gap. Well-researched and show more well-conceived, this book imagines what the emotional life of one of America’s first mothers would have been like. Historically, Eliza shows up frequently, but again, first-hand knowledge of her voice seems sparse. Dray and Kamoie imagine her inner life among all of a newly-born Republic’s twists and turns.

Together, they paint a picture of a lady of deep character, deep religious faith, yet susceptible to political rivalries and emotional hurts. To them, Eliza clearly learned much from her brilliant husband. She never forgave Aaron Burr for her husband’s murder nor others who wounded her husband’s reputation. So much in her life that was unresolved. And yet, in Dray and Kamoie’s imaginations, Eliza maintained her inner integrity, probably in excess of her husband.

This is a feminist work, a work of a woman who overcomes all the nastiness that life has to offer. It proudly shows the contribution of women to life. It serves as a reminder that modern democracy was birthed not only by first fathers but also by first mothers. These first mothers include Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, and a host of others portrayed in this novel.

So is it any good? A thousand times, yes. The authors show a mastery of the historical record, the human condition, American politics, and gender. They delve into matters to a depth that has rarely ever been matched in portrayals of the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary periods. Readers interested in American history, politics, and fiction will find much to delight in. show less

I haven't seen Hamilton, either on stage or screen, but I wanted to learn more about the history behind the musical, in particular Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler. This weighty novelisation seemed to fit the bill, so I spent four days religiously reading - and loving, for the most part - every page!

I don't know a lot about early American history, so Eliza's story - and through her, Alexander's, as with the musical, I believe - was informative (if biased in favour of the protagonists, as the authors admit). But - and I think this says more about me - what I took away from the novel was how similar Alexander and Eliza's marriage was to John F Kennedy and wife Jacqueline's ten year powerhouse pairing. Maybe I'm obsessed, but the show more parallels really stood out while reading! Primarily, of course, there is the fact that Eliza became the keeper of her husband's legacy after his death (he was also shot, but in a duel by a political rival): 'His memory, which I must honour for the sake of our children if nothing else, is impossible for me to escape,' Eliza explains in the first chapter.

Coming from an influential Dutch family - her father was a general during the revolution - Eliza was not considered to be a beauty next to her sister Angelica, and so fell hard for the charming 'winsome man with captivating eyes'. She sensed in Hamilton 'wounds that perhaps could not be healed' - he was an immigrant from the West Indies, the illegitimate son of a woman thrown in jail for being a prostitute - but Eliza wanted to be the woman to try. They married and had many children, but Hamilton's affair with the wife of an opponent was a great scandal - which Hamilton was forced to publicly admit to. 'What did Eliza know? That's what everyone wonders.' Sound familiar? JFK's sexual transgressions didn't become news until long after his death, but like Eliza, Jackie chose to stay: 'For whatever wrongs he'd done to me, he'd also given me a happier life than I believed myself destined for'. After Hamilton's death, which followed the death of her younger sister, mother and eldest son, and was followed by losing her father, Eliza discovered that Hamilton might have had an affair with her eldest sister, Angelica, too - again, like Jackie and her sister Lee. Eliza eventually decides to honour his memory, understanding that her 'needy, insecure' husband 'could never forego and impulse or resist the affections he'd been starved of as a child'. Family friend Lafayette tells her, 'He was not a perfect man, but he was a great one.'

Anyway! Aside from my own niche interpretation, Alexander and Eliza's story is full of history and action - 'court martials, battles, duels and mutinies', 'scandals, riots, plagues and mental illnesses too', as the afterword sums up their lives. Nearly 600 pages, but my mind only wandered through some of the more expositional political debates! Now I just need to watch the musical. show less

This book is a captivating account of the life, dreams and struggles of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, the woman who with love and adoration, eagerly accepted Alexander Hamilton's proposal of marriage and stood by him throughout his difficult and often challenging short-lived life. The story begins in the throes of the American Revolution and proceeds through the establishment of the nation's infrastructure, near failure and tenuous foot hold within the world. It presents Eliza as a spirited yet respectful woman - one of great strength of character, fortitude and courage. She, as a young daughter of war General Philip Schuyler, occasionally accompanied him on formal visits with native tribal leaders and had been welcomed into the tribe. She show more was fearless and tremendously helpful in ministering to the wounded troops gathered near the General's home along the Hudson River.

Succumbing to the attentions paid her by young Colonel Alexander Hamilton, aide to Commander in Chief George Washington, her life along the bucolic Hudson River suddenly picked up its pace and never slowed until her final days. She was Hamilton's committed partner, lover, bride and bearer of many children and always subject to public scrutiny, given the fame of her husband. She was the epitome of those words of 1 Coninthians 13:7, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Co-authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie within the book's accompanying notes clearly state that the historic record is a bit skimpy as to the details of Eliza's life. Through their extensive research by study of the rich historical records of other noteworthy individuals of the day and research visits to historical places, they have painted a vivid tableau of this strong female character of the American Revolution and the nation's formative days. The writing is rich, painterly and impeccably done. One is transported in place and time and dropped right into the thick of things. I eagerly look forward to reading more works by these two authors.

I am grateful to publisher William Morrow and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free advance reader's edition of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone. show less

Having read First Daughter last year this book felt almost like a continuation, Eliza at times sounded like Patsy. It took a bit to get the tie between the two out of my head. Yes they're very different but the voice sounded too similar I thought. I found out how little I really knew about Alexander Hamilton. Also interesting the differences in politics between Jefferson and Hamilton. Also how fragile the country was then. Today history made me feel like the US won the revolutionary war and then was a united country, but this book helped me see it was nothing of the sort. It was a tremendous struggle and at so many points it was nearly lost. Then there is the story of Betsy/Eliza and all the tragedies she endured due to men with ideals show more they were willing to die for, from her father (General Schuyler) to her son and husband. show less

I won My Dear Hamilton from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program back in April 2018, but never received a copy from the publisher (William Morrow).  I picked up an e-book version when it was on sale for $1.99 in July 2019, using Amazon promotional credits.  The book still appeared on my Not Reviewed list (I've been an Early Reviewer since November 2007), so I decided to read and review it this month.

I really liked it.  I knew nothing about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (called Betsey as a child and young woman, and Eliza later in adulthood), and not much more about her husband Alexander Hamilton (other than, of course, his infamous duel with Aaron Burr).  I do now, after 652 pages of very readable historical fiction.  
Eliza show more really comes alive and holds her own as as strong woman throughout the novel (as she did in early America).  I felt all the characters - Eliza's parents, sisters, children, and of course her husband - were well developed, given the first-person storytelling from Eliza's viewpoint.

Authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie did a lot of research, and explain at the end what is true and what is fiction.  Dray primarily writes historical women's fiction, while Kamoie's experience is in different types of romance (writing as Laura Kaye), although her educational and earlier employment background is in history.

And for what it's worth, you don't have to be a Hamilton! fan to enjoy this book.  I've never seen the musical. show less

I've spent a lot of time in the 18th and 19th centuries in the books I've read this year, but I think this one captures the spirit of the American revolution best—even more so than Ron Chernow's Hamilton biography (I highly recommend reading both, though). I felt like I had a front-row seat to the American experiment right alongside the Hamiltons.

I didn't care for the writing style at first, but once I got used to it I found the book quite engrossing. It's more than just a good work of historical fiction—it's a great portrayal of two complex people, a complicated marriage, and the darker side of early American politics. Great read.