Hello there, bookworms and Happy Tuesday! I know another week just began but I already feel like it’s coming to a close. It’s been a hectic few days and my energy level is similar to that of a Thursday or Friday.
On the bright side, I got a book done, and made some headway in my own writing.. so if you follow my little Wattpad creation I’ve been working on, I have about 15 hand-written pages on deck to post for you shortly. I also have a September pick coming your way this week if you’re still following along with book club so keep your eyes peeled for that as well!
Anyway, for tonight I thought I’d bring you a book review because those are stacking up like crazy on my end. I just need more hours in the day, but then again, don’t we all? This book is one I was pretty excited about since it was announced and I got to the point I headed to my local Barnes & Noble the night before release to see if I could get a copy a little early. Let’s talk about My Dear Hamilton by the talented writing duo Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie.
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. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, 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…
If you follow this blog, you know that I not only love my literature, but I also love my history/American history. I was a massive fan of their telling of America’s First Daughter about Thomas Jefferson’s eldest girl, so to get another perspective of another Founding Father was a wonderful, heartbreaking adventure.
It’s also no secret that I’m a huge fan of the broadway musical, Hamilton, and I thoroughly appreciate the artistry and power of words that went into Alexander’s story, so I loved learning more about one of the most complex historical figures of our country’s birth through the eyes of his beloved wife, Eliza “Betsy” Schuyler.
I knew Alexander was a man of many talents, many tragedies, and many layers, but I didn’t know to quite the extent he fought and loved for those around him and for his country.
Although a work of fiction, the author’s were wonderful and thorough in their research and reference materials. Using documentation, visiting historical locations, and drawing inspiration from letters and correspondence from the main players themselves, Dray and Kamoie create a stunningly beautiful and tragic story that makes you feel like you’ve lived among the walls of the Hamilton/Schuyler home.
Alexander had his fair share of ups and downs throughout the course of his life. From his humble orphaned beginnings in the Caribbean to his revolutionary glory beside general George Washington, his law practice alongside friend and rival Aaron Burr, writing what we now know as The Federalist Papers defending our new Constitution, fatherhood, being a devoted husband, being blackmailed into a political sex scandal, founding the first National Bank in America, missing out on an opportunity to become president, and his infamous duel that wound up in a heartbreaking death and a rich, ambitious life cut short. It’s rare that books make me cry. They really have to touch me so profoundly to get to the point where I shed tears for the characters, but losing Alexander broke my heart as if his senseless duel with Burr happened during my lifetime.
His wife Eliza is his champion through all the good and all the bad. Whether a scandalous affair or a political rival is trying to tear them apart, or their separated by war, or they’re living in different states while a new nation is founded, she is his rock, his place of solace, and he remains devoted to her husband up until he breathes his last breath.
Even in death, the ghost of Alexander looms and haunts Eliza. Secrets are revealed, and rivals celebrate the victory over the loss of an opponent they saw as a threat, but despite controversy surrounding her husband even as he grows cold in his grave, Eliza is determined not to have his name erased from history. She knew he was not a perfect person, and she knew more than anything that he had his flaws and faults, but she knew the impact he had on the birth of a country and she knew he wasn’t getting the credit he deserved.
Eliza outlived her husband by 50 years, and through it all, she continues to fight and establish his legacy. From a sensible dutch farmer girl to becoming a general’s wife, Eliza becomes one of the most notorious women in America’s founding. It’s because of her hard work, dedication, and faithful heart that we know what we do about Alexander today.
This book touched my soul and I’m so glad I got a little more history under my belt. I look forward to more work from this fantastic duo, but in the meantime, if you’re a fan of American history or the intricate lives of the Founding Fathers, check out this book and see such wonderful men through the eyes of those who knew them best.
