  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 10/01/2019 In the concluding author’s note, readers are alerted to the dearth of historical material about Elizabeth Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton’s wife. From this slight record, Andros has spun a charming, if spare, tale about one of the U.S.’s founding mothers. Her prose dwells on Eliza’s empathy, which particularly manifested itself after her widowhood, in the establishment of the Orphan Asylum Society and the Hamilton Free School. Fancifully, Eliza’s strength is compared to a tree, and facts are sometimes stretched—for instance, in her note, Andros acknowledges imagining the encounter between young Eliza and a local orphan. Still, as historical fiction, the book works to introduce a resilient person worth knowing. Blackham’s illustrations are simple but filled with period detail that showcases eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century fashion and pastimes, such as backgammon, which Eliza once played with Benjamin Franklin. The spreads have a folk-art quality suited to placing Eliza within her domestic sphere. Filling a gap in literature, this will appeal to those seeking more about the woman that the musical Hamilton shone a light on. - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2019 Gr 1–3—As a young girl, Eliza Hamilton played beneath the branches of tall trees with deep roots, proof of their ability to outlast the harshness of life. Hamilton didn't know it then, but she, too, would grow, sink her roots deep, face tragedy and sorrow, and become a strong pillar providing shelter and hope for others. The poetic and graceful text gently weaves metaphors with facts set in lush, detailed illustrations. Readers will find themselves entranced by the story of a woman whose empathy and compassion can serve as an inspiration. Although the story itself may seem vague when it comes to specific details, the author's note on the final pages fills in the gaps and explains many of the clever illustrations. Strong vocabulary is repeated throughout, offering an opportunity to introduce young readers to terms such as "passion, persistence, and perseverance." VERDICT This timely and elegant biography of one of our nation's founding mothers, told in simplest terms, will touch the hearts of its readers. Lyrical and beautifully illustrated.—Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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