I’ve recently come across this charming book, Eliza, written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Esme Shapiro. Like many others, I’ve been enamored by the life and story of Eliza Hamilton, particularly since the release of the wildly popular Hamilton Musical.
McNamara tells the story of Eliza Hamilton in a fresh and creative way. Rather than a typical biography, the story is told from a first person perspective as a fictional letter from Eliza Hamilton to her granddaughter.
The book takes us through Eliza’s childhood, her courtship with Alexander, their life together, and Eliza’s legacy after her husband’s passing. She was an accomplished woman before, during, and after her marriage. Throughout her adulthood she was a devoted wife and mother. There is so much that can be learned from her fortitude, hardships, and triumphs.
Each passage and time period represented in the book is brought to life by the artwork of Esme Shapiro. As opposed to illustrations that only convey the surface level meaning of their pages, Shaprio takes readers deeper into the experiences of Eliza and enhances the story that McNamara tells. Readers can experience the joy Eliza felt in her children and her work as well as they can feel the sorrows that crossed her path.
In addition to this charming story, there is an afterword by Phillipa Soo and pages of historical context for the events McNamara writes of in her book. There is much more to Eliza’s story than she is often given credit for, and I am glad that this book tells her story in a way that is approachable for young readers.