Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780062347275 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2016 |
| Sold by: | HARPERCOLLINS |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Pages: | 624 |
| Sales rank: | 4,113 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
America's First Daughter: A Novel
4.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
55 reviews.
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Couldn't put it down, hated for it to end. This novel made the venerable Thomas Jefferson a real man of flesh, bone, strength , and weaknesses. I'm still processing my feelings about Patsy, who must've been formidable in her own right. A woman of great strength but also subject to the human condition. This is a book that won't be easily forgotten.
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No words.....just read this book.
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I never review books but this was completely compelling. If you are fascinated by our American history, this is a just read .
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When I bought this book I didn't realize it was nearly 600 pages! However, it was so interesting, engaging and well written I could not put it down.
I wish I had read it before I visited Monticello a few years ago....
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This was really an exploration of Patsy's identity first as Thomas Jefferson's daughter but also as a woman, mother, slave owner etc. The story recognizes the
complexities of her identity as well as the role she needed to play for everyone in her life and for the country.
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As a person who loves history, this just about right blending of history and fiction was chance to immerse myself and take a walk with Patsy Jefferson.
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A must read
Beautifully
written story wrirt
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I did not want this book to end!! Loved the charcters, loved learning about this great family . Great historical fiction. An excellent read
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I love stories about America’s founding that aren’t centered around the founding fathers. (To read some history books, you’d think this country was founded by roughly 57 men all by themselves!) Granted, this one has Thomas Jefferson as a key figure, and I suppose in a way it is about him as his life is the vortex that determines the direction his daughter’s life takes, but the story being told from her point of view makes a big difference. It’s not about Jefferson the founding father, so much as it is about Jefferson the man.
That said, I picked this one up with some trepidation. I realize Jefferson and others were just men and they had their share of faults – some much more than others. But I’m not crazy about the current trend of raking dead mens’ reputations through the mud. Honesty is okay. An agenda is not. It’s a fine line, I know.
The authors did an excellent job of walking that line. Jefferson does not come off as a saint. Far from it. But nor does he come off as a an evil, self-centered man. He strikes me as a brilliant man who lived just a bit too much in his own head. (As much as I admire him as a writer, I’ve always said he’s the founding father I would probably have liked the least.)
Laura Kamoie holds a PhD in early American history and that comes through. I recognized some of the scenes, such as Jefferson’s flight from the British, but there were scenes that I had never thought much about before. Reading such a vivid description really brought them to life.
For critics that think this reads like a romance novel, it would be hard to tell a biography (even a semi-fictional one) of a young girl/woman that did not have at least some romantic elements to it. However, this story lacks several key ingredients such as a hero and a happy ending. (Not saying the ending is tragic, the ending just isn’t the happily ever after – or HEA – that is necessary in the romance genre.)
So, even if you detest romance novels, so long as you love history, I think this is one that’s well worth adding to your TBR list. I have already added Laura and Stephanie’s follow up novel, My Dear Hamilton, to my TBR pile. (Talk about another guy who wasn’t a saint!)
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I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. Imagine my surprise when I found myself immersed in such a rich life! I learned so much about the times and the people living at the start of our democracy.
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Simply one of, if not the best poignant, historical fiction I have ever read!! Thank you!!
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Whar a magnificent mini-series this would make.
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Best book I have read in a long time. It was a learning experience also. Patsy Jefferson came to life & made her father more than real.
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This book really made history come alive!
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America's First Daughter is the story of Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter Martha, also known as “Patsy” Jefferson. This epic novel spans her entire life and showcases this strong willed and extremely loyal woman. Not only did she lead an interesting life of her own but she also played her part in the founding of the United States. The novel begins with the Jefferson's fleeing for their lives during the Revolutionary War, and continues taking you on enlightening adventures as you watch history unfold. From living in Paris just before the French Revolution, to having her father in Office, to the struggles of running a plantation, Patsy lived quite an extraordinary life. Clocking in at almost 600 words, this novel is long and some of our readers found it to be slow, while others found it riveting and enjoyable.
Our group gave this book 4 1/2 stars
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Loved that this story was about jeffersons daughter, more so than him i love historical fiction that portrays those that were the stand-bys, because they often have a story all of their own
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I love the way the author stayed as close to the facts as possible. Great read and learned a lot.
If we forget our past we're bound to reapt it.
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A friend recommended this book on Sunday. I bought it on Monday and finished on Wednesday . It kept me spellbound . A beautiful read.
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A must read!
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Enjoyed it and it was an interesting history lesson.
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I was drawn in immediately. Beautifully written, immensely captivating. I feel like I know the Jefferson's personally for having read this book.
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