canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
After reading and enjoying America's First Daughter by Stephanie Day and Laura Kamoie I knew I just had to read My Dear Hamilton.
Well, I am so very happy I was able to get my hands on a e-ARC of this book because I very much enjoyed it.
My Dear Hamilton is a very well written historical fiction book that is very good and I was not able to put down. I loved the story very much and I know this one will be one I will buy a physical copy of and read again in the future.
I highly recommend this book.
I am giving this 4 out of 5.
*I received a e-ARC of this for my honest review*
sheritolley's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this novel from the perspective of Alexander Hamilton's wife.
anna_reads_too_much's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have some very mixed feelings about this book, and haven't quite decided whether my final rating is a 3.5 or a 4. This book is a BRICK, which I didn't realize when I picked it out for book club (oops). To finish this book on time before we met, I did some combo reading - I read it both on paper and on audio. I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts on this, so I will do a pros and cons list below.
PROS:
-I learned a lot about Eliza and Alexander's family life, which I didn't know before.
-This is a pretty comprehensive history of Eliza's time from late teenage years to the end of her life (she lived to be almost a century old!)
-The audiobook narration was wonderful.
CONS:
-There were a lot of times it felt like a history textbook and not a work of historical fiction.
-I did not connect to Eliza. Like, at all.
-There were times it felt like more of a story about Alexander instead of Eliza.
In the end, I did enjoy it, and I liked learning more about the Hamilton's - both the good and the bad. I think I will read more books by these authors in the future, but these may be ones that are better for me on audio versus reading a paper book.
PROS:
-I learned a lot about Eliza and Alexander's family life, which I didn't know before.
-This is a pretty comprehensive history of Eliza's time from late teenage years to the end of her life (she lived to be almost a century old!)
-The audiobook narration was wonderful.
CONS:
-There were a lot of times it felt like a history textbook and not a work of historical fiction.
-I did not connect to Eliza. Like, at all.
-There were times it felt like more of a story about Alexander instead of Eliza.
In the end, I did enjoy it, and I liked learning more about the Hamilton's - both the good and the bad. I think I will read more books by these authors in the future, but these may be ones that are better for me on audio versus reading a paper book.
karaklos's review against another edition
5.0
Wow-what an undertaking to write this book. So much history to piece together and speculate on. I was riveted by Eliza and her life. Such an interesting woman almost hidden in our national history.
The book is beautifully written. I felt like I was there with Eliza living out each new adventure. The authors were very thoughtful in how Eliza might have felt and reacted to the constant drama in her life. I really don’t know how a person could handle so much and live as long as she did. I appreciated the author’s notes detailing the liberties they took.
As a side note: I don’t know if it’s a relief or a huge disappointment that our founding fathers were just as bad as current politicians. The manipulation makes me want to bury my head in the sand.
The book is beautifully written. I felt like I was there with Eliza living out each new adventure. The authors were very thoughtful in how Eliza might have felt and reacted to the constant drama in her life. I really don’t know how a person could handle so much and live as long as she did. I appreciated the author’s notes detailing the liberties they took.
As a side note: I don’t know if it’s a relief or a huge disappointment that our founding fathers were just as bad as current politicians. The manipulation makes me want to bury my head in the sand.
orionoconnell's review against another edition
4.0
THIS is the book I needed. Not to be confused with biography, this is historical fiction based heavily on fact. This is the book that tells Eliza's story, from her POV, without making her simply fit into the mold of Alexander Hamilton's wife. The story broke my heart, and I cried for Eliza, and I cried for America. I felt so many feelings. The language of the writing kept me immersed, and YES, I did catch little lines from the musical (both authors admit to being fans). But the story tells about Eliza, which the musical so sorely left me wanting with the closing number.
At 600+ pages, it kept my interest. In fact, the aftermath of Hamilton's death was some of the most emotionally compromising and beautifully heartbreaking writing of the entire book. Any fan of the musical, or anyone interested in Eliza, or the Hamilton era should read this. I am, in fact, adding this to my 'to purchase' list, as my copy was borrowed from the library. I will be reading this, and adoring it again.
At 600+ pages, it kept my interest. In fact, the aftermath of Hamilton's death was some of the most emotionally compromising and beautifully heartbreaking writing of the entire book. Any fan of the musical, or anyone interested in Eliza, or the Hamilton era should read this. I am, in fact, adding this to my 'to purchase' list, as my copy was borrowed from the library. I will be reading this, and adoring it again.
claradetierra's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really captivating novel from the perspective of Eliza Hamilton. It's long and deep and complex, with compelling, human characters. It brings the American Revolution into a very current lens without changing its own setting.
rebeccatc's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for the 2019 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge category a book by two female authors. It is written in the first person from Eliza Hamilton's point of view. I think it's difficult to write believably in the first person, especially from a historical perspective. The style seemed rambling and inconsistent to me, which was probably due to the dual authorship. Having read the Ron Chernow biography of Hamilton, I didn't really learn anything new from this.
seematterce's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this one today!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am a HUGE history buff and have watched Hamilton on Disney+. And it’s so nice to hear a point of view from his wife.
This is a novel, so not everything is true, but it’s based on true events!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am a HUGE history buff and have watched Hamilton on Disney+. And it’s so nice to hear a point of view from his wife.
This is a novel, so not everything is true, but it’s based on true events!