America’s First Daughter
by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
America’s First Daughter
Summary: In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters
and original sources, Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Ran-
dolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an
American legacy.
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly,
his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she be-
comes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death,
traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that
fifteen year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave
girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William
Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the
bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be
a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even
the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must de-
cide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining
not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
More Fun Stuff!
Link to Book Club Guide
Link to Snacks & Sips Menu
Martha Jefferson Randolph
First Lady Biography: Martha Jefferson
The Untold Story of Thomas Jefferson’s
Daughter Patsy
“For I am not only
my father’s
daughter, but also
a daughter of the
nation he founded.
And protecting
both is what I have
always done”
America’s First
Daughter