Title: My Dear Hamilton
Author: Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
Published: 10th April 2018, Little Brown
Pages: 641
Source: Bought
Format: Hardback
Rating: 4/5
A novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton
Pages: 641
Source: Bought
Format: Hardback
Rating: 4/5
A novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton
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...
My Dear Hamilton is a historical fiction based on the true story of Eliza Hamilton and her relationship with Alexander Hamilton and the American War of Independence. Like many, I have watched and loved the musical Hamilton, on Disney+. and have been keen to read more about their lives. And I think this was a good place to start.
I'd say My Dear Hamilton was exactly what I expected. It's an interesting read and it was fascinating reading more about this time period in American history. Being from the UK it's not something we learn too much about. I did, however, find the book a bit wordy and at times slow going. On the flip side, the wordiness was great for picturing the settings as it was so descriptive.
I did really like the characterisation of both Alexander and Eliza. As someone who doesn't know much about the actual history, I thought it was really well done. And I really sympathised with Eliza. I haven't cried this much at a book in a while - the Philip part, in particular, had me bawling. But I also laughed so much which I did not expect. There were some excellent one-liners.
The story is told exclusively from Eliza's POV and I can't say it wasn't predictable. But I knew the bare bones of the story going in so it wasn't a negative in the slightest. I learned a bit more too. Sure it is romanticised, but I think that's the standard in historical fiction based on real people.
It's hard reviewing a book where I knew the basic outline of the story beforehand... so I'm just going to say that My Dear Hamilton is a really enjoyable, interesting read. It reads much quicker than expected for over 600 pages. I'd definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction, and even the musical.
My favourite parts? The yellow fever scene... strange I know, but I loved the way the characters started to communicate more directly.
My favourite character? Eliza and Lafayette
Did I learn something? A bit more American history.
Will I read Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie again? Possibly
Will I read the rest of the series? N/A
Worth the price? Yes
I'm an american and I don't know much about this time period either. It does sound fascinating, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
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