My dear Hamilton : a novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Title:

Author:

Dray, Stephanie, author.

ISBN:

9780062466167

9780062819826

Personal Author:

Dray, Stephanie, author.

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Information:

New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2018]

Physical Description:

xii, 641, 16 pages ; 21 cm

General Note:

Includes "P.S. insights, interviews & more" (16 pages)

"P.S. insights, interviews & more..."--Cover.

"Wife, window, and warrior in Alexander Hamilton's quest for a more perfect union"--Cover.

Abstract:

Tells the story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Tells not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal - but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.--Provided by publisher.

Personal Subject:

Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler, 1757-1854-Fiction.

Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804-Fiction.

Subject Term:

Politicians' spouses -- Fiction.

Sex scandals -- United States -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Fiction.

United States -- History -- 1783-1865 -- Fiction.

Genre:

Biographical fiction.

Historical fiction.

Added Author:

Kamoie, Laura Croghan,

Document ID:

SD_ILS:2294507

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Library	Collection	Collection	Call Number	Status
Searching... Clovis Branch Library (Fresno Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Adult Fiction Area	DRAY ST My_dear	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dinuba Library (Tulare Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Fiction Area	FIC DRAY STEPHANI	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Tulare Public Library	Searching... Unknown	Adult Fiction	Dray	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Tulare Public Library	Searching... Unknown	Adult Fiction	Dray	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Visalia Library (Tulare Co.)	Searching... Unknown	Fiction Area	FIC DRAY STEPHANI	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

USA Today Bestseller

"An edge-of my sear immersion into historical events...No study of Alexander Hamilton would be complete without reading this book." --Karen White, New York Times bestselling author

"The best book of the year!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

Wife, Widow, and Warrior in Alexander Hamilton's quest for a more perfect union

From the New York Times bestselling authors of America's First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton--a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Perfect for fans of Ron Chernow's biography Alexander Hamilton and fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: the Musical.

In this haunting, moving, and beautifully written novel, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza's story as it's never been told before--not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal--but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

A general's daughter...

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington's penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she's captivated by the young officer's charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton's bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father's wife...

But the union they create--in their marriage and the new nation--is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all--including the political treachery of America's first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution...

When a duel destroys Eliza's hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband's enemies to preserve Alexander's legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she's left with one last battle--to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her...

Author Notes

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical women¿s fiction and fantasy. Her critically acclaimed historical series about Cleopatra¿s daughter has been translated into eight languages, was nominated for a RITA Award, and won the Golden Leaf. Using the stories of women in history to inspire the young women of today, Stephanie remains fascinated by all things ancient and has, to the consternation of her devoted husband, collected a houseful of cats and Egyptian artifacts.

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

Eliza Hamilton claims her own place in American history.This latest in the recent onslaught of Hamilton novels (The Hamilton Affair, by Elizabeth Cobbs, 2016, etc.) is narrated by the great man's wife, Eliza, also known by her childhood name of Betsy. Since Eliza is telling the story after her husband's death, her mature perspective often casts doubt on her youthful one, as when she views her initial assessment of Hamilton's loyalty against her later experience of his infidelity. If readers aren't already familiar with Hamilton's imbroglios, his widow's rueful recollections would guarantee spoilers galore. Eliza, the tomboyish daughter of pioneer, planter, slaveholder, general, and politician Philip Schuyler, sets male hearts aflutter, including that of future president James Monroe. Her reputation as "the finest tempered girl in the world" attracts more financially secure suitors, but she chooses Gen. Washington's aide-de-camp, Hamilton, and marries him in 1780. Through Eliza's eyes we are treated to an in-depth portrait of Hamilton, not to mention forward-looking psychoanalysis of his genius and personality defects. With his formidable intellect and powers of concentration, he is able to almost single-handedly shape the new democracy's economy and tax structure. On the other hand, his hypersensitivity due to his illegitimate birth and hardscrabble childhood seems at regular intervals to unravel his best intentions. Episodic rather than plot-driven, the novel suffers from Dray and Kamoie's (America's First Daughter, 2016) seeming inability to choose what to summarize and what to depict as scenes in the book. Cliffhangers introduced very early are dropped, such as the first time Hamilton rides off to quell a mutiny, or take far too long to pay off, like a hinted-at romance between Hamilton and Eliza's sister Angelica. Still, the novel is unflinching in detailing Eliza's reactions, for example in her fraught encounters with Monroe throughout her life, her pre-duel compassion for Aaron Burr, and her many frustrations as Hamilton's helpmeet, moral center, and de facto literary executor.Hamilton often took Eliza's advice but, the authors imply, not often enough. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Dray and Kamoie (America's First Daughter, 2016) have mined a host of primary sources to form the loosely based-on-fact foundation of this fictional tell-all narrated by Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. As the mature, widowed Eliza reflects on her life and her often fraught relationship with the great love of her life, her intimate, long overdue story as one of America's founding mothers also emerges. While Alexander in all his brilliance, his complexity, and his shame looms large, Eliza's quiet contributions and her steadfast heart shine through the narrative, for it is, at its core, the poignant story of a woman who found the strength of character to endure emotional heartbreak and put her own mark on the shape of an emerging nation. Due to the megasuccess of the Broadway musical, all things Hamilton are hot now, and this entertaining blend of romance, fictional biography, and history will be in suitably high demand.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2018 Booklist