These days, I’m often discouraged by the hostile political climate in our country. Sometimes I worry there is so much arguing that America will fail to progress, or worse, that it might actually fall apart. Reading My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and reminded me that conflict and scandal have always been a part of our country’s history, especially at its beginning.

Perhaps because of School House Rock or the paintings of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I’ve always imagined our Founding Fathers as a friendly, cooperative group of men who worked together to unite our country. In reality, there were not only serious disagreements between Washington, Jefferson, and Hamilton about how to establish our government, but also nasty personal attacks and scandals.

Sound familiar?

My Dear Hamilton is historical fiction written from the perspective of Eliza Schuylar Hamilton, the daughter a of famous Revolutionary War general and the wife of Alexander Hamilton. The novel covers most of Eliza’s impressively long life, from her days as a young woman visiting battle fields to her final years as a widow fighting to preserve her husband’s legacy. I enjoyed America’s First Daughter, also by Stephanie Dray, and wanted to learn more about the rivalry between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, one of my favorite historical figures.

What I liked

Dray presents the Founding Fathers and their families as fascinating, feuding characters who all are passionate about establishing a democracy but who disagree on the best way to do it. There are violent protests and eloquent speeches, alliances and betrayals. I was surprised to learn how precarious the security of our country was in those early years, although I shouldn’t have been.

An entire generation was growing up in a world without sure principles by which to live in peace. And I couldn’t help but wonder, would my own son, after what he’d seen in the streets, come of age believing that there was no way to solve any problem but with a club or a pistol?

Stephanie Dray, My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Eliza Hamilton is a great narrator for this story of rebellion and independence. She is a strong female lead who isn’t afraid to challenge her mercurial husband or his contemporaries. She uses an intriguing blend of fortitude and introspection to meet the many challenges of her life, including being at the center of the nation’s first major sex scandal, thanks to Alexander Hamilton’s infidelity. I was inspired by her strength and felt compassion for the many tragedies she endured.

I’m a UVA grad and a huge fan of Thomas Jefferson, always eager to learn more about his life, even if what I find isn’t flattering. My Dear Hamilton presents a different side of Jefferson, one that characterizes him as too revolutionary and even dangerous. At one point, Eliza suggests that Jefferson was involved in the death of a journalist who published stories about Jefferson’s relationship with one of his slaves. Was that just nasty political gossip, or is there truth to Eliza’s assertion? I’ll have to do more research.

What I didn’t like

My Dear Hamilton felt long to me, but that could be because historical fiction isn’t my favorite genre. Many times, especially near the end, I thought the story dragged on unnecessarily.

With historical fiction, I always wonder how much liberty the authors take, and how much I can believe. Stephanie Dray includes extensive comments at the end of her novel and admits that she didn’t have many letters written by Eliza Hamilton to work with; the authors often made assumptions based on the writing of other people.

I listened to the audio version of My Dear Hamilton, and the narration was well done.

Recommendation

If you like historical fiction, or learning about the Founding Fathers, or a good strong female lead, you will probably enjoy My Dear Hamilton.

Have you read any other interesting books about the Founding Fathers or their wives that you can recommend?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!