A review by rebeccatc
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed

3.0

While the title suggests that this book is a biography of the Hemings family, I think it could be better described as a treatise on the institution of slavery, using the Hemings family as a case study. While the author has definitely done thorough research, there simply is not enough information available about this family to really tell their story without a large dose of speculation. I did think that the author did a good job of demonstrating the personal nature of slavery. In particular, a situation in which a white slaveowner's "slave family" interacts with his legal, white family in the face of being denied legal recognition, their inheritance, and the security of not having to fear being sold away or otherwise separated from their loved ones. The writer did demonstrate some bias in her opinions, and her writing style was a bit meandering and repetitive. This story probably could have been told in 300 pages instead of 600+.