Synopsis
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson's oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother's death, traveling with him when he becomes American's minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of the French Revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father's troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love- with her father's protege, William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions if she can choose a life as William's wife and still be a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come- to Virginia farmland, to Monticello, and even to the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson's political legacy but that of the nation he founded.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of the French Revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father's troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love- with her father's protege, William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions if she can choose a life as William's wife and still be a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come- to Virginia farmland, to Monticello, and even to the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson's political legacy but that of the nation he founded.
Loved
Loved
- The history. This is a historical fiction, but it is very closely based on Patsy's life, only adding a few embellishments. The authors note at the beginning of the book that Thomas Jefferson wrote over 18,000 letters throughout his life, and they took almost all his dialogue from these letters- so the story is pretty accurate. This time period is fascinating and I loved getting to watch the United States be born from a front-row seat. I'm glad the authors stayed close to history because I learned so much reading this, but I also appreciated the things they embellished- like giving Patsy the happy ending she deserves.
- Patsy. Wow. Why have we not heard more about Patsy Jefferson? She is honestly the MVP behind Thomas Jefferson. Without her, he definitely couldn't have functioned as President, wouldn't have kept his family together, and might not have survived the depression he experienced after his wife's death. Patsy had one painful trial after the other throughout her life, but she handled these challenges with grace, love and strength. Her loyalty and dedication to her father is inspiring, and she literally sacrifices everything for him, sometimes without him knowing. I think Patsy should be celebrated as one of the strongest, most selfless, and most influential women in U.S. history because Thomas Jefferson simply could not have been what he was without her support and constant care.
- Thomas Jefferson. Learning so much about this man made me love him, in spite of his faults. At face value, he may not seem like the most honorable man- keeping slaves and having an affair with a fifteen-year-old. But, reading this made me understand why he did these things, and it made me appreciate him more. Not to justify this affair, but the reason he didn't marry Sally is because he promised his wife as she was dying that he wouldn't marry anyone else. Still weird and not justified in my opinion, but it helped me understand better his perspective. I also didn't know the extent to which depression incapacitated Thomas Jefferson. After his wife died, he was suicidal for a significant amount of time, and would likely have ended his life had Patsy not sat up with him in the night to stop him hurting himself. Reading this made me appreciate that Thomas Jefferson was a real man with many complexities, and in spite of his flaws and challenges he was able to play a major role in founding and shaping our nation by promoting the principle and ideal of liberty.
- Historical figures. I loved getting to know other prominent historical figures through the eyes of Thomas and Patsy Jefferson. Reading this helped me especially understand the rivalry between Jefferson and John Adams and the vision Jefferson and Lafeyette both shared about independence and liberty. I didn't realize Jefferson and Lafeyette helped start the Revolution in France- but both were horrified when it turned so violent. Getting to know these figures through Patsy's eyes was so fascinating because they became real, normal people instead of names in a textbook.
Didn't Love
- I loved learning about Patsy's life, but it was hard to read. Her life was so painful, lonely, and difficult. But I am glad the authors added a little fiction to give her a happy ending- she certainly deserves it :)
Content
- Language:
- Some uses of "damn" and "hell."
- Sexual content:
- A major theme in the book is Thomas Jefferson's affair with Sally Hemings. There is a lot of talk about this scandal- his sleeping with Sally frequently over the course of his life, her having children with him, and keeping it a secret. There are no graphic details to their affair- apart from Patsy imagining them in bed together and feeling disgusted.
- A few kisses between Patsy and her beau.
- Patsy and her husband mostly relate over physical attraction (she marries him to help her father). Before they get married there are some steamy kisses shared, but no sex.
- Patsy describes her wedding night. No graphic details, just that her husband "descended upon her" and "wanted to master her."
- There are a few other scenes describing Patsy and her husband in bed. None are graphically described, and are meant to show his manipulation and emotional abuse rather than the sexual content.
- MANY references to affairs, scandals and trysts. One character has an incestuous sexual relationship.
- Violence:
- Patsy's family is driven out of their home when it is robbed, burned, and threatened. They have to live in hiding due to threat of violence against their family.
- After Thomas Jefferson's wife dies, he becomes suicidal. He sits up with a pistol at night contemplating shooting himself.
- Patsy and her father come upon a man who had just shot himself in the head with a pistol. She describes his injuries in detail.
- Patsy's husband is physically and sexually abusive and hits her multiple times, once when she is pregnant and she falls. He also forces himself upon her in bed and becomes violent when she refuses. He is also abusive to her children and hits them hard, shoves them up against the wall, etc.
- Patsy's son-in-law is physically abusive, nearly killing his wife. Patsy's husband hits him with a fire iron and injures him badly. This son-in-law stabs Patsy's son in the hip and arm, and he loses a lot of blood.
- Many references to fist fights, shootings, executions, and violence happening in France.
- Other Themes:
- There are many infant deaths in this story and talk of how the mothers cope with the heartbreak.
- Abuse is a major theme in this book- physical, emotional, and sexual. Most of this abuse occurs from Patsy's husband, and Patsy's son-in-law towards her daughter. The abuse mostly happens when these men are intoxicated.
- Slavery is also a major theme in the book. Thomas Jefferson thinks of his slaves as his family and does all he can to protect them, but it is disturbing to see the inequality between races at this time.
- Some uses of "damn" and "hell."
- A major theme in the book is Thomas Jefferson's affair with Sally Hemings. There is a lot of talk about this scandal- his sleeping with Sally frequently over the course of his life, her having children with him, and keeping it a secret. There are no graphic details to their affair- apart from Patsy imagining them in bed together and feeling disgusted.
- A few kisses between Patsy and her beau.
- Patsy and her husband mostly relate over physical attraction (she marries him to help her father). Before they get married there are some steamy kisses shared, but no sex.
- Patsy describes her wedding night. No graphic details, just that her husband "descended upon her" and "wanted to master her."
- There are a few other scenes describing Patsy and her husband in bed. None are graphically described, and are meant to show his manipulation and emotional abuse rather than the sexual content.
- MANY references to affairs, scandals and trysts. One character has an incestuous sexual relationship.
- Patsy's family is driven out of their home when it is robbed, burned, and threatened. They have to live in hiding due to threat of violence against their family.
- After Thomas Jefferson's wife dies, he becomes suicidal. He sits up with a pistol at night contemplating shooting himself.
- Patsy and her father come upon a man who had just shot himself in the head with a pistol. She describes his injuries in detail.
- Patsy's husband is physically and sexually abusive and hits her multiple times, once when she is pregnant and she falls. He also forces himself upon her in bed and becomes violent when she refuses. He is also abusive to her children and hits them hard, shoves them up against the wall, etc.
- Patsy's son-in-law is physically abusive, nearly killing his wife. Patsy's husband hits him with a fire iron and injures him badly. This son-in-law stabs Patsy's son in the hip and arm, and he loses a lot of blood.
- Many references to fist fights, shootings, executions, and violence happening in France.
- There are many infant deaths in this story and talk of how the mothers cope with the heartbreak.
- Abuse is a major theme in this book- physical, emotional, and sexual. Most of this abuse occurs from Patsy's husband, and Patsy's son-in-law towards her daughter. The abuse mostly happens when these men are intoxicated.
- Slavery is also a major theme in the book. Thomas Jefferson thinks of his slaves as his family and does all he can to protect them, but it is disturbing to see the inequality between races at this time.
Overall Thoughts
Patsy's story is hard to read because of all the heartache she experienced, but I think everyone should read her story to appreciate what she did for this country. She sacrificed everything to help her father, her family, and her country. Reading this I was constantly blown away by her selflessness, strength, composure, grace, and dedication. I think all Americans should read this book to better appreciate the power and strength behind the legendary Thomas Jefferson, because he couldn't have left his legacy without the loving dedication of his daughter throughout his life.
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