jtlars7 's review for:

First Family: Abigail and John Adams by Joseph J. Ellis

3.0

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Good, though I found it slow to start. I especially enjoyed the direct quotes from John and Abigail’s letters, which made them seem “real.” Hamilton and Jefferson do not come off well at all. As an occasional reader of revolutionary era biographies, it’s hard to get a sense of which perspective gets it right. I’ve pretty much reconciled myself to Jefferson being awful in a lot of ways. But Ron Chernow’s biography of Hamilton painted him as a much more sympathetic character, while he seems downright dangerous here.