Review: My Dear Hamilton

My Dear Hamilton

Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

This work of historical fiction follows the life of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton from her childhood years on her families frontier farm in New York through her marriage to Alexander Hamilton and during her years as a widow. This fascinating book relies on thousands of documents left behind by Mr. Hamilton giving readers a glimpse into numerous aspects of their lives and the difficulties of building a new nation.

The first thing that struck me about this work is the pace. It seems to convey such urgency and movement that made it hard to put down. The early life on the frontier during the revolutionary war is portrayed as a time of great upheaval and sacrifice, but Eliza comes across as a woman ready to play a role supporting the revolutionary cause anyway she can. And one is struck by the warm, caring atmosphere of her family compared to unfortunate circumstances of Alexander Hamilton's. No doubt this shaped her ability to cope with the difficulties she faced in life. I particularly liked that the authors tried to imagine how she felt about and dealt with the betrayal by her husband, death of her children and political developments that didn't always benefit her family or their views.

This book reminded me that I should be reading more historical fiction. Hopefully, I will find time to read the other bestseller by these authors, America's First Daughter.

Thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.