My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Komoie

About the book:

(from the publisher) From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. In this haunting, moving, and beautifully written novel, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

Genre: Fiction/Historical

If this were a movie, I’d rate it: PG

About the authors:

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into eight languages and tops the lists for most-anticipated reads of the year. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer and a teacher. Now she lives near the nation’s capital with her husband, cats, and history books.

Connect with the author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Laura Kamoie is a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction, and the author of two nonfiction books on early American history. Until recently, she held the position of associate professor of history at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction under the name Laura Kaye, a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels.

Connect with the author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

My take:

If you love a meaty histfic, rich with historical detail and nuanced characters, this is a  novel for you. And while My Dear Hamilton may seem at first glance like just another product hopping on the Hamilton bandwagon, this one offers a unique retelling from another perspective that makes it worth its own while.

The story itself contains an almost eye-popping amount of minutiae describing the day. As icing on that cake, it also includes a satisfying number of author notes (presented in interview form), which shed even more fascinating light on the subject — including how this telling of Hamilton’s story differs from the now-famous musical.

If I struggle to enjoy historical fiction, it’s often because of tone and pace. Tone, because it often sounds to my modern ear too ponderous in its attempt to recreate the inflections and style of the day. For example, here, a noticeable amount of italicization used for emphasis. And pace, because in the effort to include detail, it slows the unfolding of story. I can be an impatient reader. However, the flip side of the latter — at least in the case of My Dear Hamilton — is that it allows room for a ridiculously rich array of historical detail. If you are a buff, you will love it.

One little thing that may be peculiar to me: whenever I read a co-authored novel, I always find myself a wee bit distracted throughout wondering who wrote what. Maybe it’s the writer in me, but somehow, I always want to know.

Finally, this is one of those books that I would recommend reading in physical form rather than on a Kindle because its sheer beauty, including its satisfying heft, deckle pages, creme paper. Clearly, no expense was spared in the publication of this book. It’s a title any histfic fan will enjoy keeping on her shelf for years to come.

Thanks to William Morrow for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

Buy it here. 

After words:

What’s the best histfic you’ve read lately?