America's First Daughter: A Novel (63 page)

“A delectable and poignant read. . . . It deftly draws on the volatile atmosphere of Jefferson’s time, recounting his daughter’s little-known story—a heroine tested to the limit, loaded with grit and determination. All the right chords are struck here. You’re going to want to read slow and savor this one. Bravo.”

—Steve Berry,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Jefferson Key

“A triumphant, controversial, and fascinating plunge into the complexities of Revolutionary America, where women held power in subtle ways and men hid dangerous secrets. You’ll never look at Jefferson or his legacy the same way again.”

—C. W. Gortner, bestselling author of
Mademoiselle Chanel

“Painstakingly researched, beautifully hewn, compulsively readable—this enlightening literary journey takes us from Monticello to Revolutionary Paris to the Jefferson White House, revealing remarkable historical details and dark family secrets, and bringing to life the colorful cast of characters who conceived of our new nation. A must-read.”

—Allison Pataki,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Accidental Empress

“
America’s First Daughter
is the story of a generation caught between the past and the future of a nation, and illuminates how the actions of one woman managed to sustain a family in spite of the consequences of both privilege and poverty. Not since
Gone with the Wind
has a single-volume family saga so brilliantly portrayed the triumphs, trials, and sins of a family in the American South.”

—Erika Robuck, bestselling author of
Hemingway’s Girl
and
The House of Hawthorne

“Fiction can go boldly where history treads warily. In this compelling, poignant novel, Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie open the door into the heart of Martha Jefferson Randolph, the motherless daughter, long-suffering wife, devoted mother, and passionate protector of her famous father’s lies, secrets, and silences. A remarkable and insightful achievement.”

—Virginia Scharff, author of
The Women Jefferson Loved

“
America’s First Daughter
brings a turbulent era to vivid life. All the conflicts and complexities of the Early Republic are mirrored in Patsy’s story. It’s breathlessly exciting and heartbreaking by turns—a personal and political page-turner.”

—Donna Thorland, author of
The Turncoat

“I didn’t realize how starved I was for a beautifully written American historical until I read
America’s First Daughter. . . .
Laced with intricate detailing, plumped with authentic letters, and filled with plenty of fast-paced, harrowing scenes, Dray and Kamoie nailed it!”

—Heather Webb, author of
Rodin’s Lover

Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa

Cover photographs: Monticello © De Agostini Picture Library/ M. Seemuller/Getty Images; woman © Lee Avison/Trevillion Images

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER.
Copyright © 2016 by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

EPub Edition MARCH 2016 ISBN 9780062347275

ISBN 978-0-06-234726-8

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