Jefferson's Sons

Written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Narrated by Adenrele Ojo

What does it mean when the man who wrote
the Declaration of Independence is your father
and also your slave master?
 
Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston are Thomas Jefferson’s children, but their mother is a slave, so they must keep their father’s identity secret. They get special treatment—better work, better shoes, even violin lessons—but they are still slaves. Their father has promised to set them all free when each turns twenty-one. Some of them are light-skinned enough that they will be able to enter white society—and thereby turn their backs on home forever. Others won’t have that option. So just what did their father mean when he wrote all men are created equal?
     Told in three parts from the points of view of three of Jefferson’s slaves—Beverly, Madison, and a third boy close to the Hemings family—these engaging and poignant voices shed light on what life was like as one of Thomas Jefferson’s invisible offspring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307942326

Reviews for Jefferson's Sons

[jamesmikealhill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this is well done, but should be approached more as a novel and less as history. Bradley is an excellent storyteller. Really, it's all conjecture, I suppose, but I know many historians are critical of the Hemmings/Jefferson story that treat it as anything other than a subjection relationship. He was, after all, a slave owner and Sally's "master." I don't mean to suggest that this book whitewashes the story, just that it's told in the appropriate language for a chapter book. If you're looking for a more challenging history, look to the adult titles on the subject.

[saintsunniva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No mention of religious faith in the book is probably its most serious fault. However, it was very good. The seemingly slow build-up of menace to the utter disaster at the end of Thomas Jefferson's life was felt on every page. A YA novel to preceed Sally Hemings by Barbara Chase-Riboud.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, this is a heartbreaking book -- no surprise there, given the subject matter, but Bradley handles the material beautifully, and her vivid representations of 3 different boys gives the story its wrenching emotional impact. A nuanced and thoughtful book about slavery, history, and humanity.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Children's historical fiction; Sally Hemings' (and the president's) children--their relationships and the eventual auctioning off his slaves after Jefferson's death (the main conflict being: will he or won't he free Sally's children at 21 as promised). I only read a few chapters--it wasn't bad, but the title sounds dumb and historical fiction, with all of its necessary assumptions and dramatizations, is not the way I would want to learn about this subject (though the opinions of many teachers probably would differ). It does appear (according to the afterword) that the author did a great deal of research, however (requiring multiple trips to Monticello and discussions with historians, and apparently "most, though not all, of their actions in this book are also historically documented"--whatever that means.

[lisa2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’d read four other books by this author The War That Saved My Life, The War I Finally Won, Halfway to the Sky, and Fighting Words and had given them all 5 stars. Prior to reading I was not drawn to this one as I immediately was to the others and I ended up not enjoying it quite as much as the other four, but I enjoyed it more and more as I read on and I contemplated giving it 5 stars.

As in her other books the author creates incredibly believable characters, both children and adults.

It was brutal though. There was one scene that I thought would be the worst but then that happened twice more. Given the subject matter it was proper that this story should be tremendously upsetting. Disconcerting. Shocking. Distressing. Heartbreaking.

It was interesting to read this book right before a Presidential election and this election in particular. Oh the flaws we’ve always had!! I felt that what I was reading was so disturbing that I didn’t want to have to finish it after Election Day so I made sure to finish reading & reviewing prior to then.

The book got better & better & better as it went along. What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is it’s hard for me to read about that much conjecture about real people in history, even though the author did a superb job. I wasn’t sure though about the talking by Sally Hemings and some of the other slaves as it seems “too modern” for me. Did they really talk in these ways and with that perspective and did they really know what these characters seem to know? I’m doubtful. Too modern and psychologically sophisticated sensibilities??? Too modern ways of talking to and explaining things to children?? I could be the one who’s wrong though as the author definitely did her research.

I did get curious and I did do a bit of research as I read though I didn’t go to the back to read the author’s note/any extra material, though I was tempted. As usual, the author wrote an excellent note in the back and included research and other information.

There are many quotable quotes including: “…they couldn’t forget, but they could choose to move on. He said anger was like a heavy rock, hard to carry every day. It was easier to get through life if you could set your anger down.”

As I was reading I thought it would be a 4 star or 3 star book for me but it kept improving and it left me very emotional and I’m glad that it did. It also has me wanting to read and learn a lot more. I can’t give it less than 4 stars, 4-1/2 stars really.

4-1/2 stars

[jenniferelizabeth2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tough read on a tough subject. I only dock a star because I wanted a more coherent narrative and because it didn't exactly have a hopeful ending (but how could you when the subject is slavery??).

[amandabock-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading it. I cannot speak to the historical accuracy, but the author's note makes it clear where history and fiction meet. The story provides a window into the emotional truths of slavery in this country. It raises many questions-- about the hypocrisy of Jefferson owning slaves, what it means to pass as white, and the range of opinions about slavery amongst white southerners. I wouldn't say that the book answers those questions, but it does address them in an honest, child-accessible way that does not shy away from the hypocrisy and unfairness of the situation. I can't imagine anyone (adult or child) reading this and not wanting to find out more about Monticello, Jefferson, and personal accounts of slavery.

I will have no problem having this in my elementary library, because, despite the topics, there is an innocence to it. The story is mostly told through the eyes of boys aged 7-12. The violence against slaves is not overly graphic or gratuitous, but necessary to tell the story. Likewise, the discussion of illegitimate children and men "forcing women to have babies they don't want." Readers who are mature enough to read through the lines will, and those who aren't will see what they are ready to see.

[rata_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fictional story of Thomas Jefferson's children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, tells a darker piece of America's history from an often unseen perspective-that of three of Jefferson's slaves-including two of his own children. As each child grows up and tells his story, the contradiction between slavery and freedom becomes starker, calling into question the real meaning of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This poignant story sheds light on what life was like as one of Jefferson's invisible offspring. I liked that there were a lot of historical references used so if one enjoys history and swished to read further into Thomas Jefferson's life these references provide a good place to go. While it is regarded as childrens' fiction I suggest that it is more for Young Adult readers. Another book written by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley 'The War that saved my Life' is a very good read.

[pmaurer_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting twist on the story of slavery, by mixing in the Jefferson name. Written from the perspective of the Hemmings family, it uses three voices to tell the story. The major problem I had with the narrative is the abrupt switch of the story told by first one of the young men, to the voice of another.

[audrys13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It good read any one who likes history will like this book.

[33racoonie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fictional account of how the lives of Jefferson's slave wife and children were treated while living at Monticello. The author states quite clearly that this fictional account is based on an exhaustive review of historical documents. However, since I listened to the audble version, I don't know if the book included a list of the historical resources. A good listen, and snippets of true history like the remodelling of Monticello to include underground storage and other rooms is quite interesting to anyone who has toured Jefferson's home.

[lindap69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the notes at the end Bradley reminds the reader that this was a work of fiction and that for as much as we know about the people and the times there is an equal if not greater amount that we do not know. These statements were a big crash into reality which I had suspended during the reading with characters, dialogue and story so real I felt like I was there. Many thought-provoking statements throughout about what it meant to be a slave would make this a good choice for a book discussion group.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read my forthcoming review in Book Page.

[cay250 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a secret everybody knew at Monticello: Thomas Jefferson was the father of Beverly, Harriet, Madison and Eston Hemings, and their mother was Sally Hemings, a slave owned by Jefferson.Most people now have a vague idea of this story and the issues it raises about Jefferson, the author of the words that founded a nation: “All men are created equal.” Jefferson's sons tells the story from the points of view of Beverly, Madison and another enslaved boy on the plantation. I am shock that this book hasn't received more awards. It's a wonderful book that is honest and perfectly pitch for school age kids. Highly recommended!

[delphica · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good grief, this was a hard read at times because of the subject matter, but overall it's an extremely thought-provoking book. It's mostly the story of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson's children, who were raised as slaves at Monticello, and party the story of another enslaved family who were their friends.

My only real complaint is that it's a little expository, a character will answer a conversational question with a comprehensive overview of some element of Jefferson family history, but I can't see how else you could get the information out there so it might have to happen that way.

The fact that these are real people (and at least two of the primary characters in the book are based on real people who also wrote their own memoirs, which I will be seeking out) adds an extra punch of horror. Awful things in particular:
- the children realizing that 1. Thomas Jefferson is their father and 2. they are his slaves
- one of kids realizing that his lighter-skinned brothers and sister will eventually be able to live as white people, while he will not
- the recently freed father of another enslaved family explaining to his young son the order in which he (the father) will need to attempt to purchase the mother and sisters in the family, and the reasons why.

It wasn't one terrible thing after another, it also presented a lot of information on daily life at Monticello (any port in a storm, really), the cultural climate of the time, and the very dynamic relationships between and among the Jefferson family and the enslaved people on their farm.

One aspect of the book that I kept turning over in my head is that it's challenging, I think, to write a book where so much hinges on paternity issues without having it imply a lot of bedroom issues, and that made me wonder how this would work with younger kids. I tried to imagine (and couldn't, really) using this in a classroom setting. By the end, though, I was thinking that if nine year old kids could be slaves, it's not so much of an problem to worry about nine year old kids reading about them.

Grade: A-
Recommended: to fans of children's historical fiction

[alelliott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly great historical fiction makes you rethink what you "know" about history. In this book, author Kimberly Bradley examines what the lives of Thomas Jefferson's children by his slave Sally Hemings might have been like. With thoughtfulness and sensitivity, Bradley delves into the lives of three boys: Beverly, the oldest; Maddy, right in the middle; and Peter, a family friend who is also a slave on Monticello. Each of the boys views Jefferson differently, but they all wrestle with the fact that they belong to Master Jefferson, not because they are his children, but because they are his slaves.

The book spans many years, and students will become very invested in the three main characters, all of whom are smart, empathetic kids. Each one approaches his origins and his fate differently, and it is interesting to ponder how they must have truly felt. Written in a way that is easy for them to read but still full of suspense and horror, it is a great way to introduce one of the great historical questions: how could a man so devoted to the liberty of mankind still own slaves? Bradley never answers the question for the reader, although she does make her feelings known from time to time. This book could inspire some great classroom discussion, as well as teach kids about the hidden side of a monumental figure in history. My one quibble is that the dialogue is not historically accurate, but it also is not full of modern slang or language; it could take place in any modern era.

Reading level: 5th grade and up.