Reviews
"[An] extremely affecting and poetic first novel. Even if historical fact and careful supposition were not the story's basis, the Jefferson-Hemings relationship the novelist has imagined would be unforgettable." -The New Republic, "Her novelistic abilities are impressive: she writes with grace and force, has an eye for detail and an ear for dialogue, a sense of scene and a capacity to create believable and interesting characters . . . Intelligently, even brilliantly imagined." -The New Yorker, "The Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings legend is as deeply embedded in American mythology as John Henry. Barbara Chase-Riboud has captured all of the power, pain and ironic beauty which make the legend persist. It is a very moving and human novel." --Nathan Huggins, author of Black Odyssey, "Chase-Riboud, an unusually gifted writer, has taken a stunning historical idea and made it sing with life. The characters and settings-the Hemings family and the Jefferson of Paris and Monticello-are vivid. Sally Hemings is a beautiful novel: the writing is eloquent, the story haunting." -- Grand Rapids Press, "Chase-Riboud, an unusually gifted writer, has taken a stunning historical idea and made it sing with life. The characters and settings-the Hemings family and the Jefferson of Paris and Monticello-are vivid. Sally Hemings is a beautiful novel: the writing is eloquent, the story haunting." -- Grand Rapids Press , "Exquisitely crafted . . . a sensitive life study of a truly exceptional woman: complex, courageous, irresistibly attractive." -- Cosmopolitan, Exquisitely crafted . . . a sensitive life study of a truly exceptional woman: complex, courageous, irresistibly attractive." — Cosmopolitan, "A bold undertaking. The portrait of Jefferson is brilliantly imagined." --Larry McMurtry, New York Magazine, "Exquisitely crafted . . . a sensitive life study of a truly exceptional woman: complex, courageous, irresistibly attractive." -Cosmopolitan, Chase-Riboud, an unusually gifted writer, has taken a stunning historical idea and made it sing with life. The characters and settings–the Hemings family and the Jefferson of Paris and Monticello–are vivid. Sally Hemings is a beautiful novel: the writing is eloquent, the story haunting." — Grand Rapids Press , "The relationship must have been much as the author depicts it in this fine first novel: a mixture of love and hate, of tenderness and cruelty and of freedom and bondage. The book is well researched, well written, insightful, and entertaining. Highly recommended." -Library Journal, A bold undertaking. The portrait of Jefferson is brilliantly imagined." —Larry McMurtry, New York Magazine, "Exquisitely crafted . . . a sensitive life study of a truly exceptional woman: complex, courageous, irresistibly attractive." -- Cosmopolitan, "A bold undertaking. The portrait of Jefferson is brilliantly imagined." -Larry McMurtry,New York Magazine, "The Thomas JeffersonSally Hemings legend is as deeply embedded in American mythology as John Henry. Barbara Chase-Riboud has captured all of the power, pain and ironic beauty which make the legend persist. It is a very moving and human novel." -Nathan Huggins, author ofBlack Odyssey, "The Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings legend is as deeply embedded in American mythology as John Henry. Barbara Chase-Riboud has captured all of the power, pain and ironic beauty which make the legend persist. It is a very moving and human novel." --Nathan Huggins, author of Black Odyssey, The Thomas Jefferson–Sally Hemings legend is as deeply embedded in American mythology as John Henry. Barbara Chase-Riboud has captured all of the power, pain and ironic beauty which make the legend persist. It is a very moving and human novel." —Nathan Huggins, author of Black Odyssey, "A bold undertaking. The portrait of Jefferson is brilliantly imagined." --Larry McMurtry, New York Magazine, Chase-Riboud, an unusually gifted writer, has taken a stunning historical idea and made it sing with life. The characters and settings--the Hemings family and the Jefferson of Paris and Monticello--are vivid. Sally Hemings is a beautiful novel: the writing is eloquent, the story haunting." — Grand Rapids Press , Her novelistic abilities are impressive: she writes with grace and force, has an eye for detail and an ear for dialogue, a sense of scene and a capacity to create believable and interesting characters . . . Intelligently, even brilliantly imagined." - The New Yorker, "Chase-Riboud, an unusually gifted writer, has taken a stunning historical idea and made it sing with life. The characters and settingsthe Hemings family and the Jefferson of Paris and Monticelloare vivid.Sally Hemingsis a beautiful novel: the writing is eloquent, the story haunting." -Grand Rapids Press , "[An] extremely affecting and poetic first novel. Even if historical fact and careful supposition were not the story's basis, the Jefferson-Hemings relationship the novelist has imagined would be unforgettable." -- The New Republic, "Her novelistic abilities are impressive: she writes with grace and force, has an eye for detail and an ear for dialogue, a sense of scene and a capacity to create believable and interesting characters . . . Intelligently, even brilliantly imagined." - The New Yorker, The Thomas Jefferson--Sally Hemings legend is as deeply embedded in American mythology as John Henry. Barbara Chase-Riboud has captured all of the power, pain and ironic beauty which make the legend persist. It is a very moving and human novel." —Nathan Huggins, author of Black Odyssey, "The relationship must have been much as the author depicts it in this fine first novel: a mixture of love and hate, of tenderness and cruelty and of freedom and bondage. The book is well researched, well written, insightful, and entertaining. Highly recommended." — Library Journal, "The relationship must have been much as the author depicts it in this fine first novel: a mixture of love and hate, of tenderness and cruelty and of freedom and bondage. The book is well researched, well written, insightful, and entertaining. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal, [An] extremely affecting and poetic first novel. Even if historical fact and careful supposition were not the story's basis, the Jefferson-Hemings relationship the novelist has imagined would be unforgettable." — The New Republic
