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Eva Hamilton is cold-hearted...buying babies to trick her lover into giving her money and a marriage? Yikes. Ray Hamilton is a descendant of the great Alexander Hamilton and a prominent lawyer in Albany. However, he got mixed up with a (messy) woman who bought babies and tricked men into thinking they were pregnant. Baby trafficking? Does Ray know that Alexander's wife established the first private orphanage in New York City? Oooooof.
The story of Eva and Ray were splashed all over headlines around NY and this author pulls the headlines for chapter titles. Such an interesting and crazy story for anyone interested in American history (and scandals!) – Alyssa C.
The story of Eva and Ray were splashed all over headlines around NY and this author pulls the headlines for chapter titles. Such an interesting and crazy story for anyone interested in American history (and scandals!) – Alyssa C.
An intriguing subject surrounded by a multitude of superfluous details. I was only able to stay with the book because the author's style of writing is pleasant and flowing. He certainly knows the history of his subjects but by sharing so many of the dull ones along with the juicy bits he has weakened the overall story.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This is absolutely on my Top 5 favorite books list, and is definitely my favorite nonfiction book of all time! I can’t believe I had never heard of this very scandalous, very convoluted story before this book!
I - like nearly everyone else in America - was absolutely enthralled by "Hamilton" when it came out on Broadway. The life of Alexander Hamilton and his Revolutionary compatriots became a source of fascination. A few years down the road my ardor has cooled somewhat, but when I saw the title and description for this narrative nonfiction my interest was immediately captured.
The story centers around Ray Hamilton, the great-grandson of the Founding Father, and the years long scandal he found himself embroiled in. Yet while the Hamilton name is the attention grabber in this tale, the true star of this show is Alexander Hamilton's great-granddaughter-in-law... or his contested great-granddaughter-in-law, depending on which side of the lawsuit you come out agreeing with.
The details are too juicy to give too much away, but a story featuring a prostitute with a nebulous backstory, an attempted murder, a mysterious death, purchased infants, and an urgent "were they married weren't they married" question, is as intriguing and page turning as it sounds. Bill Shaffer brings these historical figures to light in a vivid and thorough manner.
The story centers around Ray Hamilton, the great-grandson of the Founding Father, and the years long scandal he found himself embroiled in. Yet while the Hamilton name is the attention grabber in this tale, the true star of this show is Alexander Hamilton's great-granddaughter-in-law... or his contested great-granddaughter-in-law, depending on which side of the lawsuit you come out agreeing with.
The details are too juicy to give too much away, but a story featuring a prostitute with a nebulous backstory, an attempted murder, a mysterious death, purchased infants, and an urgent "were they married weren't they married" question, is as intriguing and page turning as it sounds. Bill Shaffer brings these historical figures to light in a vivid and thorough manner.
Gilded Age scandal involving the descendant of Alexander Hamilton. When Ray Hamilton’s wife is arrested for stabbing the family’s wet nurse, a great deal of scandalous truth comes out, namely, that the child is not his, nor hers. The book provides the reader with the big picture while capturing attention with the deception that is Eva. An excellent look at a gilded age scandal, a true crime case before true crime was a thing.
4.5 ⭐️
True crime period drama at its finest!
I received a physical copy of this book from Kensington Publishers, but I actually listened to the audio version and was engrossed with the story from start to finish. I felt like I was watching a true crime documentary on the History Channel! The story was so riveting and almost unbelievable. The old adage, truth is stranger than fiction, certainly rings true with this tale! It had everything—a wild story full of twists, attempted murder, baby trafficking (yes, even in the late 1800s!), famous historical figures, and courtroom drama. And despite the book description, there was no sordid depictions of sex or violent scenes, thankfully. The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 full stars is the last several chapters became a bit dull, as the author tried to wrap up what happened to each person involved in Ray and Eva’s story. Just when I thought the book was at an end, he started up with another character and I felt it dragged on and made the book unnecessarily longer than it needed to be. Other than that, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend this book to all history buffs and true crime fans!
True crime period drama at its finest!
I received a physical copy of this book from Kensington Publishers, but I actually listened to the audio version and was engrossed with the story from start to finish. I felt like I was watching a true crime documentary on the History Channel! The story was so riveting and almost unbelievable. The old adage, truth is stranger than fiction, certainly rings true with this tale! It had everything—a wild story full of twists, attempted murder, baby trafficking (yes, even in the late 1800s!), famous historical figures, and courtroom drama. And despite the book description, there was no sordid depictions of sex or violent scenes, thankfully. The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 full stars is the last several chapters became a bit dull, as the author tried to wrap up what happened to each person involved in Ray and Eva’s story. Just when I thought the book was at an end, he started up with another character and I felt it dragged on and made the book unnecessarily longer than it needed to be. Other than that, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend this book to all history buffs and true crime fans!