Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton

Eliza is a nonfiction book about a woman named Eliza Hamilton, who is important in American history. I saw the musical Hamilton at the Peace Center in Greenville, SC, and I thought it was amazing, so I was interested to read this book. Eliza is written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Esme Shapiro. It’s written in letter form, as if Eliza is writing to you: “To look at me today, a tiny dot of a woman you would not know that I once was married to a brilliant man whose name is writ large in history. Nor would you guess that Mr. Benjamin Franklin taught me to play backgammon, or that General Washington and his wife, Martha, were good friends to me.” I liked how the writer made it seem like Eliza is talking to the reader. The book even includes an afterword by Phillipa Soo, who played the role of Eliza in Hamilton on Broadway. She says, “I am so glad that people will hear more of Eliza’s story in this picture book and that they too can be inspired by her strength, her hard work, and her endless capacity for love. She was truly the ‘best of wives and best of women.’” I do believe Phillipa’s words are true. I think boys and girls who like history will really, REALLY enjoy this book.