Hamilton and Peggy is a perfect addition for a Hamilton fan or a historical fiction fan. L.M. Elliot skillfully interweaves historical facts and documents with emotional resonance that makes these characters don’t feel like disnant historical figures or amazing musical heroes but just real people living in the Revolution.

Peggy is the star of this story as the third Schuyler sister. She is not as sweet as “Saint Eliza” nor does she quite match the flirty intelligence of Angelica, knave of hearts. But there’s more to Peggy as evidenced by Elliot’s research into historical documents detailing how others viewed her- a “Swift Vanessa.” She is resilient, and freely speaks her mind as reported in letters that she easily held the conversation at dinner tables among soldiers and thinkers.

Peggy’s story is framed as a classic coming of age/finding place in the world as she longs to step out of her sister’s shadows, be more of help to her father in the war effort etc. This brings some interesting elements of the spy ring Washington organized in early American politics which we don’t know if Peggy was involved, but her father was so she may have known of some of its workings so I allow that it could be plausible.

While the revolutionary friendship on the cover is a bit overstated since the author had to work with what few mentions of Peggy there are in historical documents and their remaining correspondence is decimated; Peggy and Hamilton do have a amicable bond though she has some concerns over his potential faithfulness to Eliza and his pride when he quits Washington’s command.

But their conversations and Hamilton’s respect for her give her the confidence she needs and he, the sense of family he always wanted. Also their conversations are so fun. They (and the letters) really show off how suave, and intelligent both are, a real meeting of wits and minds. Especially Hamilton’s. No wonder women fell at his lines.  However, the true bond is between Peggy and her sisters from helping Angelica run away to elope with her husband, Church to assuring Eliza that she is intelligent enough for Alexander to navigating the unresolved tension between Angelica, Eliza and Alexander which EVERYONE notices. 

I highly recommend this book for anyone even if they’re not a Hamilton fan since it engages with numerous events in the Revolutionary War. And people who enjoy worthwhile heroines will enjoy it too even if they’re ot part of the Hamilton craze as Peggy has more than few scenes showing her bravery and intelligence. By the end of it, I was wishing for Peggy to have gotten a solo, or at least one more scene in the musical. 

A+