“An edge-of my sear immersion into historical events…No study of Alexander Hamilton would be complete without reading this book.” —Karen White, New York Times bestselling author“The best book of the year!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice NetworkWife, Widow, and Warrior in Alexander Hamilton’s quest for a more perfect unionFrom the New York Times bestselling authors … Hamilton’s quest for a more perfect union
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. Perfect for fans of Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton and fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: the Musical.
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…
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It kept my interest but was over rated in my opinion. I read the book Dead Wake which some one compared to this book and there was no comparison. Dead Wake is one of the best books I’ve ever read and the writing is amuch more sophisticated.
Excellent historical novel set from the feminine perspective.
Have read most Hamilton books… the more perspectives the better. Incredible
Times!
Fascinating look at the beginning of our country. Politics and government were not so different from the present day. Even though it is fiction far more interesting than history class ever was.
Haunting details of the private life or one of our nations founding fathers and his wife.
I wrote a review on Goodreads. The book was long but never boring. I just got tired of reading from time to time, but I believe I read the 600 page book in three days. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have long been my favorite founding fathers of the United States, but they hated each other according to the read. Wait, did they hate each other or did Mrs. Hamilton hate Jefferson? These two men worked tirelessly to shape the American experiment. Mrs. Hamilton gave to the cause in every way possible, but I believe she wanted the glory on her own or through her husband. Hamilton violated his marriage vows, and she justified his indiscretions. The author did not paint a likeable picture of her, and I did not like her. I did not like reading about Hamilton’s personal life because it was degrading of him. Was Mrs. Hamilton degraded by the same? I do not know, but I cannot close my eyes and pretend nothing untoward ever happened their marriage or in his service to the country.
The author’s writing mechanics were excellent! The book has so much more to it than I have mentioned.
Thank you for a good read.
I absolutely loved bed this book. Would love to read more like this.
Written with a great sense of the turmoil, triumph and tragedy that surrounded the lives of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. A really good read!
A good history of the war years and the beginnings of our country in easy to read form.
I seldom give a 5 star rating unless a book is a real page turner, but this was a good book. I’m not a student of history but I learned a lot without feeling like I was learning. I like the way the authors stuck accurately with history and yet created dialog so it reads just like a novel.
An excellent historical novel. Very interesting and extremely well written.
I think quite a bit of history and maybe fiction also. Good book, either way.
Great behind the scenes look at a part of history in detail and that is often likely skipped
Now that I’ve read this book, I can’t wait to see the play, “Hamilton”.
Karen Johnson
A fun read for a different point of view about Hamilton.
This was a wonderful historical fiction novel based on the life of Eliza Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton. We knew that Hamilton was a great man and a founding father of our country. But Eliza was great in her own right.
I love historical fiction, and this book gives an excellent view of what it was like for the founders of this country. So many history books make the struggle of our infant country look easy. Based on fact this book talks about the struggles of the people and the definition of what this democracy of ours would look like.
I wish there were more books like this one and America’s First Daughter. As home school parent I struggle to engage my 17 year old when it comes to history.
Eliza’s story did just that. He was captivated. I found him searching names that were mentioned within the pages. I caught him going ahead of his lesson plans. He would come out of his room wanting to talk about what was happening. He engaged his dad and older brother in conversations.
I can’t remember the last time that happened. I can’t thank the authors enough for a fun week in history class.
My Dear Hamilton was an absolutely stunning and mesmerizing book from start to finish. I have read countless books and articles about our Founding Fathers, but I haven’t read much about their wives. I have to say Eliza completely enchanted me.
“Though the natural weakness of her body hinders her from doing what only the strength of men can perform, she has a mind as valiant and as active for the good of her country as the best of us.” ~Plutarch
This statement at the very beginning of the book completely sums up who exactly Eliza Hamilton was to me. She was a woman way ahead of her time. She was strong and intelligent, and I was glad to see her father saw that in her. All of her strength was needed in her marriage to Alexander Hamilton. She was left a widow, but she was also left with a scandal involving her marriage, and she would have to draw upon that strength to survive it. Whereas most women could move forward after losing her husband, Eliza couldn’t. She was surrounded by him everywhere, from using money (he established the mint) to walking passed a newsboy selling the paper that Hamilton founded. Can you imagine having to live under that kind of shadow? She worked so incredibly hard to forge her own identity, but she was left with more questions than answers about their marriage and the scandal that tainted it. As she so aptly put it, she was a veteran in the “war for truth in the battle for history.”
It was amazing seeing things through her eyes. She was deeply involved with the Revolutionary War. Her father was a general who some suspected of treason. She tended wounded warriors; she sat down to dinner with Benedict Arnold; she traveled with her father to battle camps; and she became life-long friends with General Layfayette. She saw great changes in the young nation as she lived to be 97 years old. I cannot imagine what her innermost thoughts were.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the end with the extra things shared by the authors at the end, like the rumors and stories they didn’t include in the book, Eliza’s friendship with Dolly Madison, and things that she accomplished outside of the shadow of her husband, like raising money for the Washington National Monument and her Orphan Asylum. In addition, the writers included the differences between their book and the Broadway play.
As much as this was a book about her marriage, this was a book about an amazing woman whom accomplished great things for our country!
****Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***