REVIEW of My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie

ebook, 672 pages

Published April 3rd 2018 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, 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… 

My Thoughts…

I love a good historical fiction book.   Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray are two of the very best authors in this genre.     The story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton is a history lesson starting at the very start of the United States.     George Washington is leading the army, the United States is 13 colonies, and Alexander Hamilton is making his mark in history.     The great part is that Eliza Hamilton is the strength behind her husband.   She supports, love, and encourages him to help this country but she also makes her own mark in the world.    Eliza shows her own strength, her own strong will, and her own way towards making things happen in both her personal life and the political world.  

While I know this is fiction, there is so much rich history shared about the Hamilton’s, the Monroe’s, the Washington’s, and the rest of the founding fathers.   I love that this focused on the women of these families.    It is no secret that strong men are known to have strong women supporting them.  

Eliza’s story was sad and humbling.   I found it interesting that she was able to tell her husband’s story from her perspective.   She took her family story and made it a history lesson that was never taught in any classroom.    She told how life was during the Revolutionary War, how life was growing up in a time when women didn’t have rights, and how life was with a man who was hated by many and loved by few but respected by most. 

I highly recommend My Dear Hamilton.   It is a 5+ star book.   

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