Jefferson's Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children

Young adults and middle grade students will gain a lot of insights into the issue of "passing" in the slave community. Some of efferson's children with Sally Hemming were given their freedom at 21 and were in a position to decide on whether to live "white" and free or not. Issues are discussed in serious ways in this book sometimes almost too insightful for their age but the plot opens up concerns and ideas abut freedom, family and slavery that are not the usual fare and can open up discussions in families and classrooms that are often avoiided. .

Jefferson's Sons is an interesting book that has many details that most readers including I enjoyed. I would not recommend this book to anybody who is under the age of 11-12. I say this because the vocabulary is a bit challenging and when switching off to certain places and or different characters perspectives it was hard to figure out when that was happening. I would say this book is at a 6th-7th grade reading level. I would recommend this to somebody who is deeply into history. You can imagine all the characters in your head just with the details in the book. Other than those few personal comments, I found this to be a good book. "It grows on you"-Burwell. The only thing that bothered me a bit was that the author made you figure out when the characters perspectives changed. "Don't let the little things bother you. If you do, you'll be nothing but bothered, all the days of your life." Jefferson's sons was a book that I thought was interesting and I might read again.

The end of this book hurt my soul. I never knew about these children and am appalled that history could just erase them. What is the trademark of America if not the erasure of people of color

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has a gift for making history come alive. This book is a very accessible account of voices not found in typical history books. Fascinating perspectives on early U.S. history. Highly recommend for young and adult readers.

This book's topic is heavy. I bought for my 7 year old but decided to read it myself and hold back from her due to the violence depicted in the book, and the innuendo about illegitimate relationships, slavery, out of wedlock children, etc... Book is well written and story revealing but it's definitely not for children younger than 12 to read. It will be bringing nightmares I'm afraid, for weak stomachs and young minds.

The author makes her characters come to life. She explores their relationships and reveals how they survived a cruel system. The reader gets a view of a great and flawed man, Thomas Jefferson. His philosophy and lifestyle were in contradiction as he treated those he knew and trusted as chattel, his own progeny as well.

Excellent book if you want to learn more about this time period and Jefferson’s life. It is a long book that I think an 8-10 year old may find intimidating due to smaller print and length of book. To read out loud for Social Studies class for 5th or 6th graders I think they’d enjoy it more then independent reading.

The book and author are great but smack dab in the middle was a whole other book by a different author!!!!!! Just when it got to a good part! A novel by Thomas Pierce is printed in it! Must be a printing mistake but seller should proof before sending out!

Great book for young and old. Very insightful of a time of slavery.

Good to really understand history.