THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of
letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and
Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson's
eldest daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph--a woman who kept the
secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American
legacy.
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 minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous
days of 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 protégé William
Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love,
principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether 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,
Monticello, and even 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 his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
