A review by acarman1
The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed

5.0

The story of the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings has come to be accepted as fact in large part due to the work of Dr. Gordon-Reed. I wanted to read this book to get the background on the story. It is meticulously researched and engagingly written. Dr. Gordon-Reed also portrays ALL the figures in this story with real understanding and balance. Instead of writing off the relationship as either "definitely rape" or "a real love affair" she tries to recover what both sides understood the situation. It is not a defense of Jefferson who comes across as all-too-human and very prideful, thinking of himself as an enlightened master, while still insisting his enslaved folks, even those related to him, be at his constant beck and call. But neither is it an attempt to completely attack him and paint him as a rapist and a tyrant. I encourage anyone interested in the early republic, specifically the history of slavery and Jefferson's relation to it, to read this book rather than the headlines on Reddit. The story is much more complex than you think!