Hamilton and Peggy!
A Revolutionary Friendship
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
A Recommended Reading Title by Ken Burns’ The American Revolution Resource Center
Drawing from historical journals and letters, New York Times bestselling author Laura Elliot weaves a richly detailed tale about the extraordinary Peggy Schuyler and her revolutionary friendship with Alexander Hamilton. Perfect for fans of the smash musical sensation Hamilton.
Peggy Schuyler has always felt like she’s existed in the shadows of her beloved sisters: the fiery, intelligent Angelica and beautiful, sweet Eliza. But it’s in the throes of a chaotic war that Peggy finds herself a central figure amid Loyalists and Patriots, spies and traitors, friends and family.
When a flirtatious aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, writes to Peggy asking for her help in wooing the earnest Eliza, Peggy finds herself unable to deny such an impassioned plea. A fast friendship forms between the two, but Alexander is caught in the same war as her father, and the danger to all their lives is real.
Everything is a battlefield—from the frontlines to their carefully coded letters—but will Peggy’s bravery’s and intelligence be enough to keep them all safe?
Bank Street College Best Book of the Year (Historical Fiction, 2019) * 2018 Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Elliott (Suspect Red) combines a flair for fiction with masterly research to create a dense yet eminently readable story about Peggy Schuyler, third daughter of Gen. Philip Schuyler, one of George Washington's right-hand men. Spanning the period from 1777 through 1781, as Peggy ages from 19 to 23, the book presents day-to-day life in Albany and its environs during the Revolutionary War years through the eyes of a young woman witnessing some of its most momentous events, detailing both the ordinary and extraordinary through her perceptive point of view. Well educated and sharp-witted (but feeling inferior to her older sisters), Peggy is a strong and appealing protagonist who eventually takes on a role in her father's clandestine work as an intelligence officer. Elliott does a remarkable job of humanizing important historical figures; despite the title, Hamilton is just one of several intriguing people in Peggy's sphere. While the extensive detail on military and intelligence operations may overwhelm some readers, the "stubborn, defiant, willful" Peggy will win their hearts as she forges on to take her place alongside her older sisters. Ages 13 up.
