Jan's Reviews > I, Eliza Hamilton

A fictionalised account of the lives of Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, is a fascinating figure. Sadly he met his ignominious end when only in his forties. Eliza on the other hand lived into her nineties, dying not long before the start of the Civil War. What she saw in her lifetime is quite extraordinary.

This author is respected for the research she does when writing her historical fictions. Knowing almost nothing about the Hamiltons before reading this book (I'm Australian) I am left with the impression of an honourable, brilliant and complicated man - a workaholic who was passionately dedicated to the country he helped to found. A war hero, and also a loving family man. Through Eliza's eyes, we see a man who believes in the truth at (almost) all costs, and a man with a low tolerance for BS or lies. As a consequence, clearly he made many enemies during those tumultuous political times.

This is quite a long book with a high level of detail about the Hamiltons' lives with its ups and downs. It was a fairly slow read for me as a consequence. At first I found it a little hard to connect with the character of Eliza. She did not seem to be a good match for the brilliant and charismatic young Hamilton. But it seems they genuinely loved each other, and as the book proceeded, Eliza's faithfulness and constant support of Alexander made her more likeable. The times were eventful and fascinating, and the characters so interesting that the book maintained my interest to the end.

This is the second book I have enjoyed by this writer, and I will probably read more.