The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette
Gordon-Reed, is an exhaustive look at race in America, both during the time
period of Thomas Jefferson’s interactions with Sally Hemings at Monticello,
and American as a whole.
Yet the complexities of this story extend beyond race as
well. Gordon-Reed must and does explore
gender inequality, social inequality among whites and blacks, as well as race and ethnicity along with the idiosyncrasies in the lives of particular white
and black people; this makes for a layered complex story.
Rather than shy away from this, Gordon-Reed dives right
in. She is hobbled by the fact that half
of her subject matter, the enslaved people of Monticello, particularly the Hemingses, have little if any
written records of their lives. What we know of them is from their own recollections years
later, memories of descendants, or any records kept by Jefferson and his
employees.
Therefore, Gordon-Reed must make many speculative
jumps. She has no other choice. Yet these are very well informed jumps, and I
believe most readers will be satisfied with the voice she gives to people who
were very purposefully blotted from the Jefferson family history.
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