jmwilson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emilyfrombookmarq's review against another edition
5.0
My Dear Hamilton is a top 5 book of 2022, and it’s only just started. This book read like the most salacious supermarket gossip magazine, and I ate up every word. We all knew the Founding Fathers were sketchy character, but they are fully exposed in this book. Dray and Kamoie do a fantastic job of highlighting the role women played in the American Revolution, details frequently left out of history books. Some of the women we love, some we loathe, but all are understood. Each woman balances her love of kin with her love of country, some balances tipping in opposing directions of others. One thing is for certain: each is worthy of our respect and admiration after seeing their sacrifices so clearly displayed on each page.
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
“Let me tell you what I wish I’d known, when I was young and dreamed of glory! You have no control: who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”
Okay, so that line is from Hamilton, the greatest piece of musical theater in existence (I will fight anyone who says otherwise.) But I must confess, the first time I heard that final song of the show, praising Eliza Hamilton for living to tell Hamilton’s and Washington’s story, my first thought was, “that’s great, but who is telling her story?”
Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, that’s who.
These two are the dream team of historical fiction. (If you love the genre and haven’t read their novel [b:America’s First Daughter|25817162|America's First Daughter|Stephanie Dray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459542134s/25817162.jpg|45584335] about Patsy Jefferson, drop everything and get yourself a copy!) I met Kamoie on book tour at my local book store, and in addition to being a novelist, she’s a former history professor at the US Naval Academy. She did extensive research for this book, and we are the lucky beneficiaries.
This book tells the whole story of Eliza’s long life, filling in the details that my beloved musical just couldn’t do. I felt like I knew her as a person, and I empathized and wept for her as a woman, a victim of her times. Did you know Eliza and Alexander had 8 children and one adopted child? Did you know that when Alexander died, he left her $50,000 in debt? Did you know that she met Abraham Lincoln when she was in her 80s and he was a young congressman? Did you know she helped Alexander write Washington’s Farewell Address? So many women’s contributions are lost to history; these authors mined the sources and brought this remarkable woman’s story to life.
Rest In Peace, Eliza. Your country is finally remembering your sacrifices and hearing your story, too.
Okay, so that line is from Hamilton, the greatest piece of musical theater in existence (I will fight anyone who says otherwise.) But I must confess, the first time I heard that final song of the show, praising Eliza Hamilton for living to tell Hamilton’s and Washington’s story, my first thought was, “that’s great, but who is telling her story?”
Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, that’s who.
These two are the dream team of historical fiction. (If you love the genre and haven’t read their novel [b:America’s First Daughter|25817162|America's First Daughter|Stephanie Dray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459542134s/25817162.jpg|45584335] about Patsy Jefferson, drop everything and get yourself a copy!) I met Kamoie on book tour at my local book store, and in addition to being a novelist, she’s a former history professor at the US Naval Academy. She did extensive research for this book, and we are the lucky beneficiaries.
This book tells the whole story of Eliza’s long life, filling in the details that my beloved musical just couldn’t do. I felt like I knew her as a person, and I empathized and wept for her as a woman, a victim of her times. Did you know Eliza and Alexander had 8 children and one adopted child? Did you know that when Alexander died, he left her $50,000 in debt? Did you know that she met Abraham Lincoln when she was in her 80s and he was a young congressman? Did you know she helped Alexander write Washington’s Farewell Address? So many women’s contributions are lost to history; these authors mined the sources and brought this remarkable woman’s story to life.
Rest In Peace, Eliza. Your country is finally remembering your sacrifices and hearing your story, too.
wombat_88's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carireadsbooksandtarot's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
In this well-researched novel, Dray and Kamoie bring Eliza Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton, back to life for the modern reader. Little has been written about this woman who lived nearly a decade and had a front row seat to the American Revolution and the creation of the nation we know today. It’s incredibly detailed and rich in sense of place and time. At almost 24 hours on audio, I did find my attention drifting as the hours went by and ended up listening at 2x speed to get through it. I love historical fiction based on the true lives of women, whose contributions tend to go unsung in history books. I think covering Eliza’s entire long life in this amount of detail made the reading a bit tedious at times.
hayleyvarlow's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
weeks_to_read's review
5.0
They always say, “behind every great man, there’s a great woman” and this book proved that saying to be absolutely true. I’m a fan of the musical, Hamilton, but I wanted to know more about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, the woman behind the legend. Although most of Eliza’s letters were burned, this book gives a realistic vision of her character, experiences, and ideas. The writing was phenomenal, and I felt Eliza’s pain through everything that happened to her. Her life was plagued with tragedy, yet she did so much for our country that is unseen to the public eye. “Wife, Widow, and Warrior”
jess0507's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mollyreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
After reading America’s First Daughter and being a little Hamilton-obsessed, I eagerly anticipated the release of this book. True to the authors’ first work, this book is well researched, both in history and personal anecdotes that have been passed down over time.
I was a little disappointed to reach the end of the book and find that much of the Monroe story did not have historical basis. It’s woven throughout the novel with Monroe being a key figure throughout Eliza’s life that it’s disappointing that there’s little basis for it.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read and the accuracy of most of the novel makes it an educational experience as well.
I was a little disappointed to reach the end of the book and find that much of the Monroe story did not have historical basis. It’s woven throughout the novel with Monroe being a key figure throughout Eliza’s life that it’s disappointing that there’s little basis for it.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read and the accuracy of most of the novel makes it an educational experience as well.
valgiroux's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story, but it was honestly at least 5 chapters too long...