“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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I really enjoy historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. Informative and interesting it’s a good read.
This book should be a must read for anyone interested in seeing the play Hamilton or who has seen it & wants to know more about the story. This book is SO GOOD!!!
I appreciated this fiction novel for its attempt to determine how Elizabeth (Betsy/Eliza) lived her life with her husband and founding father, Alexander Hamilton. I also enjoyed the explanation after the novel that explained why the authors made choices regarding the real lives of both Elizabeth and Alexander. It was very informative and made me want to me other accounts of their lives as well as other founding fathers.
Tops my list of favorite books. She is truly a hero in my eyes
I enjoyed seeing Alexander Hamilton through his wife’s eyes. My Dear Hamilton is a fascinating look into the founding of America. I felt my open patriotic spirit rise up. I highly recommend!
I borrowed a copy from my local library. This is my honest opinion.
This was a really well written engaging historical fiction. I fact checked much of it and it was also very accurate. I would highly recommend it!
This inspired me to read Hamilton! This author’s research is true to facts compared in other novels — sorry I didn’t fact check the original sources.
Really got a fuller sense of the time; enjoyed finding out about Eliza and gave Hamilton a human face prior to seeing the show
If you’re a fan of ‘Hamilton: An American Musical’ but wished Eliza and the other Schuylers were more fleshed out – pick up this book. Great historical fiction, well-researched and entertaining.
Loved reading this historical fiction!
Informative and entertaining, but slow in some spots.
I selected it for our book club. Very enjoyable and very inspirational. Loved the easy to read history lesson. Looked the author’s notes about what was factual and what was fiction.
It made history so real and emotional.
What an interesting life Hamilton had and Elizabeth truly loved him.
I adored this book. This is a BIG story, where everything and everyone in it is massively larger than life. The relationship of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton is one the most tumultuous, complex, and enigmatic love stories I’ve ever come across. It’s a story of pure, unselfish love and profound treachery and betrayal. These two had scorching sexual chemistry, producing eight children, an equally intense intellectual compatibility, and a common deep patriotism and love for their fledgling country. They lived and participated in an extraordinary period of history and hung out with the people who populate the American history books – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and many more were all friends (or enemies) and associates.
What’s so fascinating when you read about the birth of our nation is how familiar the issues sound. The virulent partisanship, the issue of racism (in those days, the debate over slavery) , even the fact that so many people at that time owned guns to protect their homes and families: all the issues, or seeds of the issues, that divide us today are very evident when you read about the American Revolution. We’re still arguing about the same things.
The people, time period, revolution, and political climate throughout this book are all very familiar to me, but I had a difficult time connecting with the real-life character Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. She seemed to lose her own identity through the people she loved. However, I think a lot of women will find a connection and although this is fiction.
My Dear Hamilton is a fascinating, gripping story of the life of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton. When most of a novel’s characters are real historical figures it can be difficult for authors to harmonize fact and fiction. Despite extensive research, there is often not enough information available on particular people or events and certainly the private thoughts and reasonings of people who really lived remain just that – private. The authors of My Dear Hamilton had no problem creating the perfect balance. Everything from major events known to any student of American history to the smallest nuance of everyday life felt honest and real. Eliza Schuyler Hamilton is portrayed as an intelligent, complex character every bit the equal to her more famous husband. The novel offered a portrait of many of the American Revolution’s famous names from an angle not often seen, but one that is much more human than the larger-than-life portraits many of us are used to.
As history, this novel is extremely interesting. As fiction, it is compelling, intriguing, heartbreaking, and satisfying. I was able to empathize with Betsy (aka Eliza) from the start. As a reader, I felt what she felt which is a sign of brilliant writing. The characters felt so real, not just because they actually were real people, but because the story is so vividly told that I felt as though I was right there with them.
As a lover of history, I often wondered how much of this story was fact and how much had to be created by the authors. I was simply dying to know what was fact and what was fiction. Thankfully, the authors answered my burning questions in the Afterward where they explained their research process and revealed what was fact and what had to be created for the story. Even the parts that were fictional were based upon something in fact that would make the authors’ creation a realistic choice. Their meticulous research and expert writing worked to make the entire novel wholly believable.
For anyone who loves history, romance, has an interest in the founding men and women of the United States, or just loves a well-told story that hits upon every emotion, My Dear Hamilton is one to read!
This is an exceptional book. Our book club voted it our best read of the year. The discussion went well into the night. Do not miss this book!
Excellent book! Full of information about Mrs. Schuyler Hamilton. Easy to read and it really was hard to put down once I started reading it!
One of the best books I’ve read in a while. I never learned all the history behind Alexander Hamilton and what a huge role his wife, Eliza, had in his success. Great character and what a strong female she was. I love strong female characters. This book was so full of history, yet such a good story it will stay with me for quite a while. Highly recommend.