About America’s First Daughter
Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 1, 2016)
In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha Patsy Jefferson Randolph’s woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love with her father’s protegé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father’s reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
My Review:
America’s First Daughter is a novel written by authors Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray and while I am a fan of both of these authors, this is very different from what I am used to reading from these two amazing storytellers.
Brilliantly rich with history, and far outside of what I normally reach for when it comes to a new read, I was blown away by this story. I was drawn into Patsy Jefferson’s tale from the very beginning and went through such a range of emotions while reading. From losing her mother at a very young age to shouldering the feeling of responsibility for her father and growing up in a time far different from anything I can even imagine living through, this was a story I won’t soon forget. All I can say is if history had been this entertaining to read when I had been in school, I surely would have gotten better grades when it came to history class.
If you’re looking for a beautifully written tale of colonial times, this is a book you should pick up! Thank you Ms. Dray and Ms. Kamoie for transporting me into a different time with a woman I will not soon forget.
Five Loves
Purchase Links
HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About Stephanie Dray
Stephanie Dray is a bestselling and award-nominated author of historical womenís fiction. Her work has been translated into six different languages, was nominated for RWAís RITA Award, and won NJRWís Golden Leaf. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nationís capital.
Find out more about Stephanie at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
About Laura Kamoie
Laura Kamoie has published two nonfiction books on early America and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction under the name Laura Kaye, the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books.
Find out more about Laura at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Tour schedule:
Tuesday, March 1st: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, March 2nd: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
Thursday, March 3rd: From L.A. to LA
Friday, March 4th: Read-Love-Blog
Monday, March 7th: Luxury Reading
Monday, March 7th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Tuesday, March 8th: Just One More Chapter
Wednesday, March 9th: Reading Reality
Thursday, March 10th: A Chick Who Reads
Friday, March 11th: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Monday, March 14th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, March 15th: Kritters Ramblings
Wednesday, March 16th: bookchickdi
Thursday, March 17th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Friday, March 18th: Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, March 21st: Puddletown Reviews
Tuesday, March 22nd: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews
I’ve enjoy Dray’s writing in the past so I’m interested in reading her new collaboration.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!