The Hemingses of Monticello as an African American Novel

Annette Gordon-Reed's 'The Hemingses of Monticello' revolutionizes the understanding of early American history through its literary and archival rigor. The work, spanning approximately 700 pages, employs a multigenerational family biography approach, combining psychological depth, detailed historical analysis, and narrative flow reminiscent of classic realist novels like Charles Dickens's 'Bleak House' and Thomas Mann's 'Buddenbrooks.' It also draws parallels with nineteenth-century African American novels such as William Wells Brown's 'Clotel,' which fictionalized accounts of Thomas Jefferson's alleged relationship with Sally Hemings. Gordon-Reed's meticulous evidence sifting in her 1997 work, 'Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy,' predated the genetic testing that confirmed this relationship in 1998, demonstrating the complexity of interracial relationships in slave culture. Her narrative style, respectful of historical uncertainties, invites readers to grapple with the motivations and complexities of characters like Sally Hemings, who chose to return to Virginia despite the potential for freedom in Paris.

Levine, R. S. (2012). The Hemingses of Monticello as an African American Novel. Early American Literature, 47(2), 444–447. https://doi.org/10.1353/eal.2012.0043