"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree." ~Michael Crichton The older I get, the more I enjoy Historical Fiction. It has become a springboard for much more digging and learning, and THAT … learning new things / getting that all-important backstory… always brings me a renewed sense of personal joy. With that in mind, I’m so glad to finally be able to write about a book that my husband and I have just completed that has definitely become just such a catalyst for deeper investigation. I say “my husband and I” because this particular book was a road-trip read-aloud. Ever heard of such a thing? No? Well, how about “Books on Tape” (remember those…back in the day)? Yep, I bet you know about those. Well, my Love actually calls them “Books on Dot” because I read books out loud to him sometimes when we take trips, and we discuss the chapters as we move through the book. It’s kind of like a book club for two. It’s way cool, too, because it keeps us focused on good stuff instead of the day-to-day drama that just brings me down when I talk about it (a digital detox, if you will). In addition, my husband is SO stinkin' smart when it comes to history and man-oh-man does he know everything there is to know about Political Science! Put those two things together and there aren't many questions I throw at him that he can't help me understand in a book like this one. Anyway, back in the middle of July, we drove down to Jacksonville Beach for a few days, and I took several books for the trip….genres including historical fiction, suspense, and even a bit of Chick Lit. I let Rut decide which one he wanted to be our road-trip read-aloud, and not surprisingly he chose the one that had an element of history & politics involved (shocker!)… “America’s First Daughter” by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie. (Don’t be fooled, though. Rut enjoys chick lit on occasion as well.) ;) Well, it took us a trip to and from Jacksonville, plenty of drives to and from football tailgates, and even a few visits to see our college son, but we finished it yesterday on our way back from Mercer Homecoming! Woohoo! It took us a little over 3 months, but who’s counting? However, like each and every other time I’ve ever read a great book, I’m a tad bit bummed when it’s over. I feel that way today. It was THAT good. “America’s First Daughter” is at its core all about the life of Martha Jefferson Randolph, the oldest daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Divided into three sections of her life, the book helps the reader get to know The Dutiful Daughter, The Founding Mother, and finally The Mistress of Monticello. Martha, or “Patsy” as she was affectionately known by those closest to her, was an extraordinary woman. Motherless at a very young age caused her to grow up quickly and find ways to sustain her family in the middle of constant crisis. A challenging marriage and plenty of children just added to her already full plate of responsibility as the fierce protector of her father’s secrets. Yes, Martha was the main focus of this book, but there are so many more layers to this fascinating family. Of course, there’s plenty about Thomas Jefferson himself and his rise to power in the earliest years of our nation, all the while keeping plenty of scandalous secrets of his own. The “history book stuff” is all in there, but drawing from the tens of thousands of letters Jefferson wrote in his lifetime, the authors were able to weave a brilliant piece of 18th & 19th century American history packed full of Southern drama….the kind that doesn’t make the “official” history books. From Virginia, to Revolutionary Paris, to the White House, and back again, this is a must-read book…especially if you aren’t really “into” Historical Fiction because once you read this one, you will be! Do I think it was a Five-Star book? Well, the true test for me is always asking myself how much more would I still like to know about the cast of characters after I close a book for the last time. This particular one already has us planning our vacation next summer…. to Monticello! :) Some of my favorite quotes from the book: “I’m not only my father’s daughter, but also a daughter of the nation he founded. And protecting both is what I’ve always done.” “I’ll tell you a secret about being happy, Tom. Sometimes you just have to pretend at it until it becomes real.” “For the first time in my life, I understood that a lie could protect those I loved.” “That moment, for me, was an eclipse of the sun. A blackening of the whole earth. An unfathomable grief in which I no longer knew myself, or the world, or my place in it. But my father—who had always known his place in that world—passed like the hero he was from life into legend.” By the way, the book is so good, I really feel like I've already been here, but I'm looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes one of these days as well!
Until next time, ~D
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AuthorHi! I'm Dot. I refuse to succumb to the "empty nest syndrome"! So, this is my journal.....my photo album.....my attempt to enjoy the next chapter of my life as it unfolds. Welcome to The Roomy Nest! Archives
January 2020
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