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cakt1991 's review for:
Hamilton and Peggy!: A Revolutionary Friendship
by L.M. Elliott
Hamilton and Peggy! was recommended by a school friend ages ago, and the renewed Hamilton fever and my desire for more Peggy in particular led me to finally picking it up. And while I found myself reading it fairly quickly, I attribute that more to my general lack of daily structure at the moment than immense enjoyment of the book.
Not that there aren’t good moments, as it was still somewhat engaging. Elliott clearly knows the period, and tried to be as accurate as possible, while also making the narrative palatable for a younger audience. While not always front and center for the action, the women are involved due to their proximity to Philip Schuyler, Hamilton, etc., and I liked that.
The Schuyler sisters and their relationships with one another are also beautifully conveyed. I resonated with Peggy feeling like a bit of an afterthought (complete with an “and Peggy!” reference in-text), especially as her sisters both marry and start families.
However, while the book is lengthy, it meanders along and ends before reaching its full potential, especially for a story supposedly about “Hamilton and Peggy,” and their friendship. For one, apart from the brief mention in the intro, Hamilton himself doesn’t appear until about a third into the book, and when he does, he doesn’t seem to have any more of a bond with her than he does with any Schuyler who isn’t Eliza.
Not to mention it seemed like such a missed opportunity to end the book while still the 1780s, when one of my favorite historical moments that depicts Hamilton and Peggy’s friendship was that he was there for her on her deathbed. I understand that including this may not have made logistical sense with the timeline, and given how much the characters age, it’s already pushing it in terms of being classified as YA, but I’m still bummed.
So, this is an adequate Revolutionary War book, but failed to deliver fully on what was promised. I would reluctantly recommend it to other Hamilton fans who want more Peggy, given there aren’t any other books I can think of that give her the spotlight, with that caveat.
Not that there aren’t good moments, as it was still somewhat engaging. Elliott clearly knows the period, and tried to be as accurate as possible, while also making the narrative palatable for a younger audience. While not always front and center for the action, the women are involved due to their proximity to Philip Schuyler, Hamilton, etc., and I liked that.
The Schuyler sisters and their relationships with one another are also beautifully conveyed. I resonated with Peggy feeling like a bit of an afterthought (complete with an “and Peggy!” reference in-text), especially as her sisters both marry and start families.
However, while the book is lengthy, it meanders along and ends before reaching its full potential, especially for a story supposedly about “Hamilton and Peggy,” and their friendship. For one, apart from the brief mention in the intro, Hamilton himself doesn’t appear until about a third into the book, and when he does, he doesn’t seem to have any more of a bond with her than he does with any Schuyler who isn’t Eliza.
Not to mention it seemed like such a missed opportunity to end the book while still the 1780s, when one of my favorite historical moments that depicts Hamilton and Peggy’s friendship was that he was there for her on her deathbed. I understand that including this may not have made logistical sense with the timeline, and given how much the characters age, it’s already pushing it in terms of being classified as YA, but I’m still bummed.
So, this is an adequate Revolutionary War book, but failed to deliver fully on what was promised. I would reluctantly recommend it to other Hamilton fans who want more Peggy, given there aren’t any other books I can think of that give her the spotlight, with that caveat.