My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
When I was struggling thru Alexander Hamilton’s very long and very extensive biography (you can read about THAT dreadful adventure in reading here: https://brainglitterwithdani.com/alexander-hamilton/ ) my friend Jen recommended this as a much easier and much more fun read.
THANKS GIRL…you were SO RIGHT!
Here is a summary:
“From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton–a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. In this haunting, moving, and beautifully written novel, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before–not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal–but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.
A general’s daughter…
Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.
A Founding Father’s wife…
But the union they create–in their marriage and the new nation–is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all–including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.
The last surviving light of the Revolution…
When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle–to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her.”
Historical fiction is one of my favorite literature genres.
Since reading that looooong boring book and learning more details about Hamilton then I cared about …and then seeing the fantastic Broadway show…and then downloading the soundtrack to relisten to the songs over and over….I’ve kinda been in this whole Hamilton-ish head space 🤣
I’ll tell you though…his wife’s story fascinated me more than his.
The two authors of this book did extensive research on Eliza…and there exists way less info on her life than there is his (typical 🙄).
There were things she endured in her life before him and with him and BECAUSE of him that required so much strength and bravery and persistence.
She was far from perfect by any means (as was he…and all of us really) but I found her character as the authors developed it to be vulnerable and honest and genuine.
Was she in real life the way the authors envision her in the book?
I have no idea, but I’d like to think maybe more than a little bit.
This is a long read but definitely worth your time.
Entertaining and informative…and I appreciated the authors’ afterword that explains their research and writing process.