A review by sarahasyouwish
Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret Children, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book presents a more accurate historical picture of Thomas Jefferson in regards to his actual position on slavery than anything I learned while in school. We follow the perspective of several of the sons he had with Sally Hemings who was Jefferson’s slave and the mother to many of his children. Brown paints a realistic picture of what it might have been like to live the unsettling balance of living on the grounds of a man who was both your father and slave master. She doesn’t portray Jefferson as a hero or villain but does show his hypocrisy and faults though he isn’t the focus of the story. I thought this was well done and an informative and interesting book that handles a heartbreaking subject very well.
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Miscarriage