The subtitle is A Novel of the Founding Mothers, and it covers the years 1787-1815 with narration back to about 1773. This book is very different from Barbara Hambly's usual style. It is written as a series of interlocking vignettes with the imminent burning of Washington by British soldiers in 1814 as the larger frame. The stories jump back and forth through time and are told from the perspectives of Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, the controversial Sally Hemings, and Dolley Madison. So they are a sideways perspective on the political and personal events prior to and during the presidencies of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Only a couple of the characters in the novel are completely fictional. A Dramatis Personae at the end clearly indicates these, as well as describing all of the real historical figures that have even brief mention in the book.

I enjoyed the book, but it is always embarrassing to read something like this and not know how it will end and to be completely unfamiliar with many of the events and people described. It was the same way when I watched Apollo 13. At least I knew the Titanic went down, but it's a pretty sad commentary on my knowledge base and I consider myself above average in terms of education and knowledge. I tend to concentrate on the medieval era, so the most recent 300 hundred years are a blur to me.

Once again, I learned more history from my recreational reading than in public school history classes. I am sure we covered all of these things decades ago, but I am terrible with names and dates, and sometimes history class just feels like an endless roll call of Important Men and Battles and Laws. This is a work of fiction, so all of the feelings and dialogue are essentially pure invention. But the physical objects, people, events, and even attitudes are largely well-documented historical fact, I'm sure, with the exception of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, who are the only unmarried couple represented--I will not get into a debate of whether they really were a couple--and around whom (as a couple) there isn't an extensive body of both modern scholarly research and contemporary documents.

The only real drawback is that the vignette format meant that there isn't a plot continuously moving forward, and the novel isn't necessarily driven by dialogue. While the copious descriptions and exposition are valuable, the book's layout tempted me more than once to jump ahead to the next sequence with the same characters or more stimulating action.

It was a fun, painless way to become familiar with Revolutionary Era history and a poignant reminder of the hard choices and personal costs involved with public service, which even today remain largely invisible thanks to the still-poor accounting of the private, "female" sphere of life. ( )

This novel was obviously extremely well-researched, however, I believe this actually got in the way of the story. Hambly tries to cram to much erroneous information into the book and this, I believe, takes the attention and focus away from the true feelings and hardships of the Founding Mothers. She had lofty goals to tell the story of four very different woman and in the making of it, she loses the essence of each one. The book also switches perspective and time much too often and the reader is often confused about when, where, and who the story is about. I was going to read "The Emancipator's Wife" following this book, but now I am not sure that I will. ( )

http://printedpage.blogspot.com/2008/05/patriot-hearts-by-barbara-hambly.html ( )

What do Martha Washington, Abigal Adams, Sally Hemings, and Dolley Madison have in common? All loved men who were involved in the early years of this country, and all sometimes had to put aside their own dreams so that their men could work towards the establishment of a working government.
From the time of the Revolution through the British march on Washington, DC in 1814, the stories of these four women are intertwined with each other and the birth of a nation. As they struggle to raise their children and often confront the struggles of loving someone who also loves his new country, the reader is given a fresh look at the formation of the United States through their eyes. Each one of the women and their times are brought to life in this wonderful piece of historical fiction. As they learn that “We go where our hears command us, in the faith that is God who formed our hearts” the reader learns about the hard work and sacrifice required to form this country. ( )

A novel of the founding mothers