In Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray’s novel “My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton,” the authors explore the life and times of Eliza Hamilton, Alexander’s wife and partner.
Since the debut of the popular Broadway musical “Hamilton,” the life of Alexander Hamilton has become a subject of fascination among scholars and novice researchers alike. However, until the writing of “My Dear Hamilton,” no authors have delved into the world of Mrs. Hamilton, who lived an equally, if not more, fascinating life as her husband.
On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Friends of the Delaware County District Library will welcome Ms. Kamoie to the Orange Branch Library to speak about her novel and research process. Tickets for the event are available at Eventbrite.com or on the Friends’ website at delawarelibraryfriends.org. They are going fast as only a handful remain.
Earlier this week, I was able to have a conversation with Ms. Kamoie, which will rebroadcast on WDLR 92.9 FM and 1550 AM this Sunday at 9 a.m. Though the writing of “My Dear Hamilton” is historical fiction, because much of Eliza’s life is unknown, the novel is written in deeply researched historical context of the time and using as many original documents as are in existence today.
Kamoie’s other novel, “America’s First Daughter,” uses similar writing styles to tell the story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph. Kamoie’s writing combines a love of history and a passion for storytelling. I hope you are able to grab one of the last remaining tickets for this wonderful event, sponsored by our Friends of the Library.
To dig into more pieces of history or characters from the past, I hope you’ll discover these new novels in the historical fiction section.
• “Little” by Edward Carey. Discover Anne Marie Grosholtz, the Swiss orphan who grows up to become famous wax sculptor Madame Tussaud. Narrated with wit and verve by Marie, it is a picaresque story of personal reinvention that unfolds against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
• “The Splendor Before the Dark: A Novel of the Emperor Nero” by Margaret George. The highly anticipated sequel to “The Confessions of Young Nero,” depicts Rome burning and the emperor Nero wrestling with assassination plots, betrayals, conspiracies, rebellions, and shifting public opinion.
• “Trinity” by Louisa Hall. Told from the perspectives of seven different characters, this mosaic novel about physicist and Manhattan Project director J. Robert Oppenheimer explores humanity’s conflicted relationship with world-altering technologies.
• “Wolves of Eden” by Kevin McCarthy. Unable to adjust to civilian life after the American Civil War, brothers Michael and Thomas O’Driscoll reenlist in the U.S. Army and are dispatched to the Dakota territory to construct a fort. Predictably, the Lakota are not pleased about this development.
