Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I know absolutely nothing about Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph. I don't even know that much about her father, President Thomas Jefferson. All I know is that once I finished this engrossing novel, I want to read more about her and her family. This is one of my favorite historical fiction novels of all time. Patsy Jefferson is the eldest daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Having run from their plantation Monticello to hide from the British in the Revolutionary War, she grows up as not only as the daughter of the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, she matures as the daughter of the third President of the United States. Growing up, she lost her mother at the age of 10; lived in Paris during her coming out years and experienced the revolutionary fervor there. She comes home and marries a distant cousin, Thomas Randolph. Even though she was constantly pregnant (she ended up giving birth to 11 children), managing her husband's plantations as well as her father's, she ended up being a pivotal part of Thomas Jefferson's life. This is a long novel and if I could, I would have sat in my chair and read for hours. This story simply pulled you into Patsy's life, turmoil, world ... it gives a personal flair to a woman I have never heard of. It does touch upon the sticky issues of slavery, Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings and Patsy's own relationship with Sally as well as with other people. It is a reminder for those of us who like to think in terms of history being black and white, that there are a lot more issues that surround the times and nothing is ever so easy as we'd like to believe. The authors have navigated through some of the thorny issues with a fine touch by bringing a personal touch to it. The only issue I have with this book is that it does not cover her later years as much as I had hoped for. However, if there are books written about her children, I will definitely seek them out. I know this is a novel, but I feel as if this would be a good starting point in getting to know the history of our forefathers, as much as to encourage the interest in our leading ladies. These 2 authors have managed to bring a woman who has been buried under the dusty pages of history to life. And that is my favorite way to spend time ... reading about the ones who have lived before us. It is inspiring to read about people and be reminded that too, they were once flesh and blood, and survived to be remembered in history as to shape our country's path.