February 2023 Book Group with Fika
Join Librarian Meredith for fika and a discussion of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s historical fiction novel America’s First Daughter.
Fika is the Swedish tradition of enjoying coffee and a treat with friends. The library will have coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and some tasty treats for patrons to enjoy starting at 3:40pm.
Book discussion will follow fika at 4pm.
=> A NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph–a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love–with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father’s reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
Copies of “America’s First Daughter” are available to check out at the Scandinavia Public Library, or you may place a hold through Infosoup: https://bit.ly/3iIZ0mp
Book Group normally meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from January through November. We do not meet in December. Be sure to watch our website or our Facebook page for the most recent updates!
We read books across most genres as well as some non-fiction. Anyone is welcome to attend who has read or is interested in the current month’s book, and is willing to participate in a civil manner. Members are welcome to attend one meeting or all of them as their interests and schedules permit.