America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers of The United States of America, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States. By the time he was elected president, Jefferson was a widow and it was his daughter Martha (nicknamed Patsy by her family) who served in the new role of First Lady. America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie is a fictional depiction of Patsy's life from the time she was a child escaping the British descending on her home at Monticello, through her time in Paris, her marriage and motherhood, and on until a few years after the death of her father. While the title and cover make it seem as if the focus of the book is on the time that she helped her father as president, it is much more focused on all the other years she served almost as Jefferson's right hand. This historical novel makes it sound as though her father quite depended upon her. Patsy doesn't have an easy life by any description. Her mother dies shortly after the birth of her third daughter and leaves Patsy with the responsibility of looking after her father and her sisters; a command that she takes very seriously, devoting her life to his protection and assistance.

This book was interesting, but very long and often a little slow. It took me nearly the first half of the book to want to read it. If it hadn't been for a book club deadline, it would likely have taken me much longer if I was even able to finish it. That isn't to say it wasn't well written and interesting. It was, but it also felt like a bit of a chore to read it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for historical fiction or maybe it is that this exact subject matter wasn't of particular interest to me. Martha Jefferson was certainly a fascinating person with a life full of interesting stories. I can think of lots of people who would enjoy reading this because of their affinity for American history and I hope that my review doesn't scare them away; it just wasn't really for me.

But isn't that the great thing about a book club? You get to read books you never would have picked and I like expanding my reading experience.