Jefferson's Sons

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting tale of one of our most important Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Yes, the man who penned the Declaration of Independence did indeed own slaves on his plantation, Monticello, in Virginia. He was also the father of Sally Hemings' children, Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston. Sally Hemings was one of Jefferson's slaves. The story is told through the eyes of all four children, who have been told that they will be free when they turn 21, as promised by Jefferson to their mother. Sally tells her children that when they leave Monticello, they will "pass" as white people, and live with all the advantages of white people at that time. I'm not sure all of the historic facts are accurate, and for sure, the dialogue is not, but it is an interesting piece of historical fiction.


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