... meticulous research ... Reclamation flourishes in bringing a new generation of Heminges and Jeffersons out of the shadows. But more importantly, this forceful piece of micro-history builds on the brilliant and breathtaking scholarship of Annette Gordon-Reed’s The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family while adding a sturdy stone onto America’s shaky blueprint.
This timely, relevant, and important book should find a home with readers interested in American ancestry as well as those seeking information about Jefferson and Sally Hemmings and the history of slavery in the U.S.
Multilayered ... The long process White went through to establish her lineage will be especially interesting to amateur genealogists. But it is also of great interest in general because of the subtle and not-so-subtle obstacles she faced as a Black person claiming to be a descendant of the author of the Declaration of Independence.
A vivid account ... White issues a powerful call for reconsidering Jefferson’s legacy and centering the Black experience in American history. This spirited memoir charts a hopeful path for a more honest reckoning with the legacy of slavery.
