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ellereadsbooks's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So beautifully sad. The writing was gorgeous. I do actually wish I could read this again for the first time. And what a tragic ending.
I will say that you shouldn’t read this book if you’re even a little bit triggered by racism. Everyone owns slaves and the n word is mentioned almost once every other page.
I will say that you shouldn’t read this book if you’re even a little bit triggered by racism. Everyone owns slaves and the n word is mentioned almost once every other page.
bethsponz's review against another edition
4.0
A story of Theodosia and Aaron Burr. It is told mainly from Theodosia’s view point but we also see much of Aaron’s life and how it affects her. I’m interested in the Burr’s because of the musical Hamilton. This is also my favorite author and one of the few books of hers I have not read.
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
My Theodosia is Anya Seton first book and it really shows. It has a lot of her weaknesses and not much of her strengths.
The biggest problem was how slow paced this book is. It takes a while for the plot to get moving and when it does, it moves at the pace of a sightseeing trolly. I found it to be so dull and heavy handed.
I will say this for Seton, she really does know how to choose an exciting story. It’s just too bad that her execution often misses the mark for me.
My Theodosia is Anya Seton first book and it really shows. It has a lot of her weaknesses and not much of her strengths.
The biggest problem was how slow paced this book is. It takes a while for the plot to get moving and when it does, it moves at the pace of a sightseeing trolly. I found it to be so dull and heavy handed.
I will say this for Seton, she really does know how to choose an exciting story. It’s just too bad that her execution often misses the mark for me.
mom2tcks's review against another edition
3.0
I was expecting more historical fiction and less chick lit. I was disappointed, but the history and perhaps my current interest in all things Hamilton kept me reading.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
In her author's note, Seton says she tried to be as "historically accurate as possible," while acknowledging the "vast and conflicting" amount of Burr material, and the many theories of Theodosia's mysterious disappearance.
This was a beautifully rendered retelling of the life of Theodosia Burr, daughter of Aaron Burr, that I found believable. What we do know for sure (that all the historians agree on) is that A Burr cherished his daughter Theodosia above all, and that she loved and admired him.
I believe the dynamic between them that Seton presented was accurate. With a larger-than-life personality and genius (some say) as a father, of course Theodosia was going to be led by him, and do whatever he wishes. It was very believable that she longed for her childhood home and always preferred being with her dad than with her husband. Her husband took her to an unfamiliar part of the country where there were different ways of life that what she was used to in New York, and of course it would be a very rare man that could match her father in brilliance and force of personality.
Very interesting to learn about the Meriwether Lewis story, that supposedly the leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition and Theodosia had an interest in each other. Very fun, highly recommended.
This was a beautifully rendered retelling of the life of Theodosia Burr, daughter of Aaron Burr, that I found believable. What we do know for sure (that all the historians agree on) is that A Burr cherished his daughter Theodosia above all, and that she loved and admired him.
I believe the dynamic between them that Seton presented was accurate. With a larger-than-life personality and genius (some say) as a father, of course Theodosia was going to be led by him, and do whatever he wishes. It was very believable that she longed for her childhood home and always preferred being with her dad than with her husband. Her husband took her to an unfamiliar part of the country where there were different ways of life that what she was used to in New York, and of course it would be a very rare man that could match her father in brilliance and force of personality.
Very interesting to learn about the Meriwether Lewis story, that supposedly the leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition and Theodosia had an interest in each other. Very fun, highly recommended.
redewhurst's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bookishbetsie's review
5.0
Wow. The gaslighting, Stockholm syndrome and emotional blackmail in this book are astounding. I wanted so badly to hate Theo, but I just felt sorry for her most of the time. I feel like if her mother had lived, she might have been spared the emotional abuse at her father's hand and been able to lead a happy life. The fact that she spent the majority of her married years as an invalid, due to the fact that she was so incredibly unhappy, is just heartbreaking. However, it was a very well written book and kept my attention through out.
rmardel's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this book when I was a teenager, and have reread it before this. I wanted to read this book after reading Nancy Isenberg's biography of Aaron Burr, Fallen Founder, partly because the author mentioned at Seton had hinted at incest between Aaron Burr and his daughter, Theodosia.
I still don't see the incest, although I see some mentions of this thought in the mind of Theodosia's rather narrow-minded inlaws. I am inclined to think this view is one primarily promulgated by Phillipa Gregory in her later introductions to the reissues of the Seton works. I do think that Seton plays up this dependence and imparts a kind of naivete to Theodosia that is seems unsubstantiated. It makes a good story, I suppose, but a story I found maddening. I found it maddening because the author deliberately takes aspects of 18th century life and her characters and paints them in a way intended to inflame the sensibilities of 20th century (or 21st century) readers, adding a subtext to the story that was probably not at all there. I have no problems with the author's portrayal of how misguided popular opinion shapes history or even of the difference between the cultures of Theodosia's youth and her later marriage. I have lived and seen too much of cultural differences and petty narrow-minded self interest to realize that there is a grain of truth in all this.
It was a good book for my youthful self. I remain indebted to it as it sparked an interest in Aaron Burr and early American history. The book is fiction, I recognize the differences between fiction and history and think that fiction needs to take some license in order to make its points. I do not, however, think this is one of Seton's best books, but since it was her first, this seems reasonable.
I still don't see the incest, although I see some mentions of this thought in the mind of Theodosia's rather narrow-minded inlaws. I am inclined to think this view is one primarily promulgated by Phillipa Gregory in her later introductions to the reissues of the Seton works. I do think that Seton plays up this dependence and imparts a kind of naivete to Theodosia that is seems unsubstantiated. It makes a good story, I suppose, but a story I found maddening. I found it maddening because the author deliberately takes aspects of 18th century life and her characters and paints them in a way intended to inflame the sensibilities of 20th century (or 21st century) readers, adding a subtext to the story that was probably not at all there. I have no problems with the author's portrayal of how misguided popular opinion shapes history or even of the difference between the cultures of Theodosia's youth and her later marriage. I have lived and seen too much of cultural differences and petty narrow-minded self interest to realize that there is a grain of truth in all this.
It was a good book for my youthful self. I remain indebted to it as it sparked an interest in Aaron Burr and early American history. The book is fiction, I recognize the differences between fiction and history and think that fiction needs to take some license in order to make its points. I do not, however, think this is one of Seton's best books, but since it was her first, this seems reasonable.
alisonvh's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is pretty well written, and I definitely learned a lot about Aaron and Theodosia Burr, but it’s also super racist, so it lost a lot of points with me for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Pregnancy, Slavery, Child death, Death, and Misogyny