The Hemingses of Monticello

An American Family

By: Annette Gordon-Reed

Narrated by: Karen White

Length: 30 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, History, 2009

National Book Award, Nonfiction, 2008

This epic work tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently. Now, historian and legal scholar Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from its origins in Virginia in the 1700s to the family's dispersal after Jefferson's death in 1826.

It brings to life not only Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson but also their children and Hemings's siblings, who shared a father with Jefferson's wife, Martha. The Hemingses of Monticello sets the family's compelling saga against the backdrop of Revolutionary America, Paris on the eve of its own revolution, 1790s Philadelphia, and plantation life at Monticello. Much anticipated, this book promises to be the most important history of an American slave family ever written.

©2008 Annette Gordon-Reed (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Fascinating, wise and of the utmost importance.... Gordon-Reed's genius for reading nearly silent records makes this an extraordinary work." ( Publishers Weekly Starred Review)
"This is a masterpiece brimming with decades of dedicated research and dexterous writing." ( Library Journal Starred Review)

A magnificent epic saga of American History

All men are created equal! So penned Thomas Jefferson
America is loved by the the defendants of slavery, despite the
cruelty, of slavery and its past and current apologists. We love
America especially when the truth... Historical truth is told.
Thomas Jefferson, "the planter" who wrote of freedom...
Never planted any thing... He is emblematic of the American paradox.
He could not abide the tyrannical of King George but held hundreds
enslaved. A 15 year old child cannot give consent to a powerful middle
age man.... especially when he literally owns her... Was Jefferson a rapist?
Is water wet? Is fire hot?
All Americans must recognize the immense contribution of Jefferson,
despite his multitude of paradoxical flaws, to our current wonderful country.
It must be recognized that he could not have accomplished these deeds without
Sally Hemings and her sons and family. They gave him the time and space to
accomplish his goals.

A wonderful researched, highly informative narrative

I listened to this history of the Hemings family with rapt attention and was amazed at the level of detail, as well as the intelligent analysis of the author. As an amateur genealogist who is researching my own families roots and enslaved and free people of color in Virginia, I found this work invaluable. The performance was great as well. I appreciate the orator’s pace and clear, engaging voice.

Good chronological history however very left wing

Author does a good job telling the story of the Hemings but reader/listener beware - this a very liberal, SJW, over use of hyperbole, over-damning of white men just because type history. This is not a great historical work. The author attributes her speculative opinions to TJ and other characters In His and Sally’s life leading the reader off the historical trail. The author is a lawyer by education and northwest Ivy League university mentality. Lots of passages will make you roll your eyes. Others are interesting pieces of historical material. Just beware and don’t let this be the only book you read on the Hemings and or Thomas Jefferson

Worth every moment!

An incredible story researched with meticulous detail, told in a remarkably engaging and accessible way, without judgement. A masterful gift to our understanding of our history and, thus, to our present and future. Thank you, thank you! Also, perfectly narrated!

Riveting and enlightening

Riveting and enlightening. The Hemingses will stay on my mind for some time. I will read it again.

Spectacular

I had wanted to read this book since it was first published, and I'm so glad I was able to get it as an audiobook. I learned SO MUCH about U.S. history and 18th-century Western societies. Gordon-Reed does so well at contextualizing the people about whom she writes, their actions, and their expectations, that I felt I had a very reliable conduit to the time in which the Hemings family lived and worked and was enslaved at Monticello. I'm impressed that she creates such a lively narrative without, as far as I can tell, embellishing or creating dialogue.

Listening to the whole work is a commitment. I stretched my listening over several months, but never lost the thread of the story. This is probably because of the many repetitions of the same concepts throughout the book, but, as Lenin said, "povtorenie -- mat' ucheniia" -- repetition is the mother of learning. I certainly found these repetitions more helpful than annoying.

A difficult but necessary education

The author has a challenging job because there are no written records by the Hemmingses at the time. The oral stories handed down to succeeding generations are backed up by considerable research from others who left journals and letters, as well as newspaper articles and other period records. I found it a bit irritating to be told repeatedly what someone (who left no records) would have felt in the given circumstances, but I found the solid information helpful in understanding the whole situation.

I listened to the entire book (parts of it several times because I kept falling asleep). The "story" of "history" made the details bearable.How peculiar it is to learn that Jefferson planned careers for his slaves, from barber to carpenter to French chef. The government machinations, even at the founding of our country, reverberate in our own times.

The narration is deplorable, with many complex terms mispronounced. I also found it a bit whiney. As another reviewer suggested, putting it on a faster speed makes it more bearable overall.

When I finished the book, I wandered through a website of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. It was interesting to find out that the Foundation has accepted the Hemmingses as descendants of Jeffereson because DNA tests strongly support it. They also have quite a collection of narratives, some from white descendents of the Hemmingses.

This book is too important to miss. It adds many pieces to the puzzle of US history, creating a total picture which would be difficult to find in other sources. Mow the lawn, do dishes, put it on double speed, do whatever it takes, but get through it. You'll be glad you did.

Outstanding Story

A must read for the country. Compelling, frustrating, insightful, and indispensable to understanding Jefferson, the Hemings and the vicissitudes of the institution of chattel slavery.

An unbiased and factual look on freedom and race

I have no words to describe how amazing this was. If you love history, I 100% recommend this!

Must hear for every historian

A door opening to The real life of what it would be like to be a slave person. And the dichotomy of a great historian who dislike slavery, but had slaves. And also a person who is quoted to say don’t spend more than you make dying deeply in debt.