My Dear Hamilton- A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray
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Web ID: 5596136Flawless!
Audiobook review. I’m glad I chose to listen to this book versus reading it. The narrator does an excellent job crafting a persona and voice for each character. This was further enhanced by her acting skill.she expertly guides one from each emotional high to low and everything in between . I could close my eyes and feel I was in the middle of 18th century America, Interacting with all the familiar names from history. Of course the bulk of the praise must go to the authors. They developed characters true to what is historically known about each while plausibly filling In the blanks. One is therefore left with a real 3D person not that flat persona often found in history books and novels written by less skilled authors. Though this book is heavy on the historical details of the times and the life and work of Hamilton, this remains front and center the story of Eliza and her love affair with Alexander. There can be no question that Hamilton was brilliant ,he is after all the architect of our federal government, but he was human and therefore flawed. Eliza as the narrator takes us through the joys, anguish, and fears she experienced as the wife of such a man. There are loses, scandals and betrayals not only in the nascent country but even in their marriage. How Eliza handles herself shows her incredible inner strength. I’m definitely a fan! In this book we have a great piece of historical fiction. In Eliza we have another great founding mother!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Must Read
Reading it right now and couldn't wait to write a review/ I am a Hamilton (the musical) LOVER and this gives me so much information I had never known about Eliza and her and Hamiltons relationship. Must read for history/hamilton lovers!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An in-depth emotional look at Eliza Hamilton
Thanks to Ron Chernow’s award-winning biography and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning musical, interest in the historical figure of Alexander Hamilton has experienced a rebirth in recent years. Many have also fallen in love with his wife Eliza who endured much for the birth of America – a revolutionary war, the country’s first scandal, deadly duels impacting her family, whispers and improprieties, a hostile post-revolution political environment, and fifty years of being a widow. However, the historical record is strikingly silent with first-hand data from her. Thus, we are left to imagine what her life had been life. Along with Tilar Mizzeo’s recent work, this work seeks to fill that gap. Well-researched and well-conceived, this book imagines what the emotional life of one of America’s first mothers would have been like. Historically, Eliza shows up frequently, but again, first-hand knowledge of her voice seems sparse. Dray and Kamoie imagine her inner life among all of a newly-born Republic’s twists and turns. Together, they paint a picture of a lady of deep character, deep religious faith, yet susceptible to political rivalries and emotional hurts. To them, Eliza clearly learned much from her brilliant husband. She never forgave Aaron Burr for her husband’s death nor others who wounded her husband’s reputation. So much in her life that was unresolved. And yet, in Dray and Kamoie’s imaginations, Eliza maintained her inner integrity, probably in excess of her husband. This is a feminist work, a work of a woman who overcomes all the nastiness that life has to offer. It proudly shows the contribution of women to life. It serves as a reminder that modern democracy was birthed not only by first fathers but also by first mothers. These first mothers include Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, and a host of others portrayed in this novel. So is it any good? A thousand times, yes. The authors show a mastery of the historical record, the human condition, American politics, and gender. They delve into matters to a depth that has rarely ever been matched in portrayals of the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary periods. Readers interested in American history, politics, and fiction will find much to delight in.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
awesome
I just finished this book. It is great reading. I could not put it down. I also learned a lot about Alexander Hamilton. He did much more than establish the currancy. He may not have been perfect but he was a very intelligent man. Love this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com