Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children
| Age of Revolutions |
|---|
 Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children
|
American History > Age of Revolutions
This story of Thomas Jefferson's children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, tells a darker piece of America's history from an often unseen perspective-that of three of Jefferson's slaves-including two of his own children. As each child grows up and tells his story, the contradiction between slavery and freedom becomes starker, calling into question the real meaning of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This poignant story sheds light on what life was like as one of Jefferson's invisible offspring.
Emily's Review
I am a big fan of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's books. This is such a powerful and important book. It's well-written and researched historical fiction and a beautifully written story. It is easy to put the Founding Fathers on a pedestal. But no person is perfect, and Thomas Jefferson, especially, was a walking contradiction. He wrote that all men are created equal - something our entire nation is founded upon - and yet he not only enslaved people, but he kept his own children enslaved on his plantation. I think this novel raises important questions that our children should think about as they study history - can someone be a hero while also participating in great evil? What does it mean to be free? It also discusses racial identity and what it means to be "passing," in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner.
I appreciate that the author didn't shy away from showing the brutality of slavery, while also keeping it age-appropriate. As we are following the perspectives of children, they witness things at a child's level. I think this story does something important in that it shows that even a "good" slave situation, with a supposedly "good" master, was still an intolerable way to live. This is what makes reading these sorts of historical fiction stories so important - it paints a vivid picture of a time period, but also a vivid picture of what life was like for different people in that time.
Heartbreaking, and difficult at times to read (due to the subject matter) but it is such a beautifully written and important book that I highly recommend making it a part of your child's history studies.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of Thomas Jefferson.
- Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children (by: Brubaker Bradley, Kimberly, Thomas Jefferson, Slavery, UMG, YA)
- Wolf by the Ears (by: Rinaldi, Ann, Thomas Jefferson, Slavery, UMG, YA)