There is something magical about getting to celebrate Independence Day from the back lawn of the man who penned the Declaration of Independence. This is how I was fortunate enough to spend many an Independence Day growing up. My parents, cousins and I would travel down to Virginia to spend the days surrounding July 4th at my Aunt and Uncle’s home.
Every July 4th Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s retreat home, would hold a bi 4th of July celebration! There were different artisans such as; blacksmiths, weavers, spinners, gunsmiths, and basket makers. There was a sword swallower, and a slack rope walker. You could take a paid tour of the house, or you could wander the grounds for a small admittance fee. It was a blast!
Naturally though, I always enjoyed when I was able to line up some reading to coincide with these visits! If you are planning a visit to Virginia this year, or just wish to visit vicariously, here are some titles to pair with your travels!
America’s First Daughter
If you go to Poplar Forest, Jefferson’s vacation home, then you will get to see where it was that Jefferson and his family fled in hot pursuit by the British During the American Revolution. America’s First Daughter is about Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s Daughter. Here was a book about the revolution, a closer glimpse into Jefferson’s personal life, told through the lens of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter.
While this book starts off happily enough, readers should be aware that Martha did not lead an overly joyous life. There were happy times, but oh so many hard times too. This book accurately portrays the struggles of the day in the new nation as well as Martha’s personal struggles too. A turbulent childhood at times spent fleeing the British, gave way to a fairly happy adolescent spent abroad in Paris as a diplomat’s daughter, then giving way to a marriage colored by abuse. As a woman in the 18th and early 19th century Martha was no stranger to commonplace domestic violence, the loss of children, as well as financial struggles. This book offers a realistic peek into the life that was Martha Jefferson’s. If you are visiting either Poplar Forest, or Monticello this summer this is a must read!
Wolf By the Ears by Ann Rinaldi
Wolf by the Ears is perhaps Rinaldi’s best known work. This is a story of Harriet Hemings, one of Thomas Jefferson’s slaves, long supposed to have been one of the children between Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. Harriet wrestles with the desire to know whether she is really a daughter of this man, a man who is opposed to slavery in theory, but who feels that “Slavery in America is like taking a wolf by the ears, you can neither hold it, nor safely let it go.” One thing young Harriet knows though, is that her skin is light, very light—light enough that she could pass for white. If she was offered this chance of freedom would she take it? To take it would mean a life of freedom, but it would also mean turning her back on her heritage and her culture, not to mention never seeing her family again. Could she take this leap? Should she?
Wolf By the Ears by Ann Rinaldi
Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi
We think of Patrick Henry as a man who cried the immortal words, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Henry wasn’t just a statesman and lawyer; he was a father with a family and a wife who was slowly losing her mind, just as our country was trying to gain its independence. Told from the eyes of his young daughter, Anne, we see what home life was like for this man, as he tried against the current of the time to care for his wife at home, while also being a public figure, championing the cause of liberty.
Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi
In My Father’s House by Ann Rinaldi
If you are traveling to Virginia this summer, save time to visit Appomattox courthouse, where the south formally surrendered to the north, concluding the Civil War. For a reading companion, pick up In My Father’s House by Ann Rinaldi. Meet young Oscie Mason, the step daughter of Wilmer McLean, on whose property the Civil War started and, after moving many miles away, the War concluded- the treaty being signed in his parlor!
Even if you are staying close to home this summer, I hope you might take this opportunity to check out one of these titles. Summer is a great time to take time to remember the history that built this nation.
In My Father’s House by Ann Rinaldi
Disclosure
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Author Spotlight: Books by Ann Rinaldi
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End of Summer Historical Fiction Round 2021