Valerie McEnroe's Reviews > Alex and Eliza

It's hard for me to fairly rate this book because I listened to the audiobook. The reader was fantastic. My guess is that I probably would not have enjoyed it as much if I'd read it myself. I can't help but assume that the only reason this book is popular is because of the musical Hamilton. On its own merit, a romance from the 1700s really isn't all that exciting. In fact, if you aren't already obsessed with the musical, then you must really love historical fiction to enjoy this book. I was one of the few who did not like the musical, but I do love historical fiction, and I did like the audio reading.

It starts off with the backstory of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler. Alex grows up on a Caribbean Island as a merchant's apprentice after his mother dies at a young age. Eliza grows up in New York, the daughter of wealthy parents. Alex moves to New York, gets an education, becomes a respected lawyer and works for George Washington. Eliza and Alex first meet at a party hosted by her parents. There's enough of a connection that when they meet two years later, an unacknowledged relationship begins. Neither will admit they like each other, but clearly they do.

Unfortunately, Eliza's parents run into financial difficulty, prompting them to arrange a marriage between Eliza and the son of the governor of New Jersey. Little do they know, he is no gentleman. He doesn't love Eliza in the least. She is heartbroken, as is Alexander, but he has nothing to offer. Although he has status as one of Washington's men, he has no family history or wealth. Eliza has no choice but to go along with the awful marriage to Henry Livingston.

Don't expect a lot of Revolutionary War history. It's in there, but this is almost exclusively a romance. Eliza is in almost every chapter, either with Alex or with her sisters, talking about Alex. You'll get a strong sense of what it was like to be a woman during that era, especially when it comes to arranged marriages. Livingston was a brute. The part I liked the least was when Eliza was a nurse volunteer, helping her aunt administer smallpox inoculations to the soldiers. Interesting, but it went on too long.

Final analysis. Loving the musical doesn't guarantee you will love the book. Proceed with caution. If boredom sets in, switch to the audio version. I promise you'll get through and enjoy it.