The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family Audiobook

" annette gordon reed has researched this subject very well- this is the story of sally hemings -a slave in the time of thomas jefferson. it is also the story of her relatives and their relationship to jefferson's wife and finally their individual fates.little known facts about the way jefferson and those around him lived. "

" difficult to read, a good deal of conjecture and going off on tangents. one of the few books i started and probably will not finish "

" I couldn't finish this one. While I find the subject very interesting, Ms. Gordon-Reed went into far too much speculative detail. While the reader in me is curious whether Sally Hemings found Thomas Jefferson attractive or how she may have felt about living in Paris, she beats the subject to death going over all of the possibilities. Gordon-Reed also has an annoying propensity to spoon feed us obvious information, like that just because two people are legally married doesn't mean they love each other and even though slaves were legally property, they still had the full gamut of human emotions. I have to give her credit for loving her subject, but not conveying that love to her readers very well. "

" An amazing books that detailed the relationships between slaves and their owners. A history book that was from a different perspective, very enjoyable. "

" I read this awhile ago, and still find myself thinking about it. I want to come to some sort of succinct conclusions about Jefferson and the Hemings part of his family. This book isn't just a presentation of historical facts. There's a lot of speculation and opinion mixed in. Sometimes the presentation is objective, sometimes it's not. I understand why. This is a complex story with huge parts missing (and hidden). Interesting, complex, thought provoking. "

" a brilliant piece of research where information on this lovely family had to be culled from ashes and dust and few documents. a big book. a real american story. "

" If it had been less grounded in fact, it would be more entertaining, perhaps, but not as thought-provoking or valuable. "

" Okey, I didn't actually finish this. Very dense, very interesting! I wish that it had had fewer details and more insights into the culture. Actually, the insights were there...I just couldn't wade through to get to them all. "

" An excellent book that helps explain what real life was like during the life of the Hemmingses of Monticello and how what now is inexplicable (slavery) could be part of everyday life. "

" While there are many primary sources garnered (letters and the like), Mrs. Gordon-Reed interjects opinion and speculation, interpretation of minuscule smatterings of anecdotes. This leads to a large percentage of the book being opinion--and, therefore, subjective. "

" It was interesting to learn about the other Hemingses. I did not know that Jefferson's first wife, Martha, was a half-sister to Sally Hemmings. They had the same father, but different mothers. "

" It was a long but great read. It discusses the complicated issues of slavery in Virginia and the USA at the time of Jefferson. Gordon-Reed repeats herself a lot throughout the book in order to emphasize Jefferson's and Sally Hemings' and their children's secret lives together. "

" a very scholarly look at the deeply painful reality of slavery ... how Thomas Jefferson championed liberty..as long as you were white and male... "

" Speculative certainly, but, more importantly, deeply sympathetic, and imbued with a true understanding of human emotion and family relationships. She makes not just Sally Hemings, but also Thomas Jefferson, truly human. "

" Enlightening account of Thomas Jefferson's years long affair with his slave "wife." The life of Sally Hemings and TJ in France was a revelation. "

" This is the history of one of the slave families that were owned by Thomas Jefferson. With Sally Hemingses, his slave mistress, he had 5 children. It is a very long book, infact I had to keep renewing it at the library, but I kept at it becasue I found it so interesting. "

" Although I found the subject matter interesting, it was repetitive throughout. With a skilled editor, it could have been reduced in length without detracting from the story. "

" Beautifully researched and written account of Thomas Jefferson's relationship with the Hemings family who were slaves on his property. "

" Not only a history of Jefferson and the Hemmings families, but a very clear picture of life at that time. However, there is a huge amount of repetition. This is a VERY long book and could have been half it's size. "

" for westridge alum book club. had excellent discussion of the book. very interesting topic and story i didnt previously know. "

" I am in the process of listening to this book on CD. It's amazing, the history is so detailed. I'm finished! I back off my raiting to a "I liked" because there was so much detail it was hard to fallow at times. "

" A long and sometimes very hard read,but so worth it! "

" One of the most fascinating books I have read in college. It was worth my while to read every page, and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with the author in my Introductory Seminar. "

" An amazing books that detailed the relationships between slaves and their owners. A history book that was from a different perspective, very enjoyable. "

" An eye-opener on the life and personality of Thomas Jefferson. "