Thomas
Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, had three daughters who
lived to adulthood: two by his wife, and a third who was born to an enslaved
woman. Each of them found her own way to assert her individuality during her
lifetime and historian Catherine Kerrison does an excellent job of bringing all
three women out of the shadows of their famous father in this work.
Jefferson’s
elder daughters were brought up to secure good marriages, which he saw as the
end-all of a woman’s education. Although Martha and Maria lived largely
conventional lives, they definitely had their own opinions, which led to some
clashes with their father when those ideas didn’t match his.
In contrast,
Harriet Hemings, born into slavery, had to openly stake her claim to freedom. Although
Jefferson never acknowledged paternity of her, she was allowed some privileges
at Monticello – including being allowed to “walk” away from the plantation after
she turned twenty-one. Although Harriet disappears from historical record at
that moment, family legend says she moved to Washington, D.C., passed as a
white woman, and became the matriarch of a prominent family. If that is true,
her safety at the time would have depended on her ability to break ties with
her old life. Perhaps the most interesting section of the book is where
Kerrison sifts through vital records in an attempt to bring Harriet back into history.
Reviewed
by Lynn Heitkamp, Hoyt Library
Noah Isenberg’s We’ll Always Have Casablanca is an engaging
read for Casablanca devotees and
casual fans alike. Brimming with fresh insight, Isenberg walks his readers
through the life of this classic film from its inception as a 1940s stage play
through its current status as a legendary cultural icon. Highlights of the book
include enjoyable anecdotes about the writing and casting of the movie, as well
as relevant insights into the world of refugees in the 1940s and today. Isenberg’s
intelligent and entertaining study of the genius, mystery, and timeless
relevancy of this memorable film thoroughly demonstrates to his readers why
we’ll always have Casablanca.
