Review: America's First Daughter

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've had this book on my shelf for at least a year, and haven't gotten around to reading it until now. To be honest, even though I love the cover, and the synopsis is intriguing, I found the length of the book a little intimidating! Finally I picked it up and decided to trudge through it, and I'll admit it; after a quick start with the Jefferson family escaping from the British, the story began to drag a bit. But it quickly picked up again and I suspect the 'drag' was because I was getting to know the characters and the 'lay of the land'; where the plantations were located relative to each other. Once I got past that, the story moved very quickly.

I came to the book with a bit of knowledge—a very tiny bit—about Thomas Jefferson, but knew virtually nothing about his eldest daughter, Patsy Jefferson. What a strong woman she turned out to be! And while I'll always appreciate the sacrifices of Thomas Jefferson and his leadership in forming out nation, I now realize he was a flawed man.

The book was everything I ask of historical fiction. It is very well researched and the story flows smoothly. I learned something new (a lot actually!) and I was inspired to read more about it! The authors also included notes at the back of the book, explaining what liberties they took to move the story along—something I consider mandatory for a book to be good historical fiction! If you enjoy reading about our nation's early days and want to learn more about the women and men who played key roles, you definitely should add this book to your list!

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