Book Review for American Daughters by Piper Huguley

 American Daughters by Piper Huguley

Published April 2, 2024 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre:  Historical Fiction, American History

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In the vein of America’s First Daughter , Piper Huguley’s historical novel delves into the remarkable friendship of Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, the daughters of educator Booker T. Washington and President Teddy Roosevelt. At the turn of the twentieth century, in a time of great change, two women—separated by societal status and culture but bound by their expected roles as the daughters of famed statesmen—forged a lifelong friendship.  Portia Washington’s father Booker T. Washington was a former slave who spent his life championing the education and empowerment of Black Americans through the Tuskegee Institute and his political connections. Dedicated to her father’s values, Portia contributed by teaching and performing spirituals and classical music. But a marriage to a controlling and jealous husband made fulfilling her dreams much more difficult.  When Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency, his eldest daughter Alice Roosevelt joined him in the White House. To try to win her father’s approval, she eagerly jumped in to help him succeed, but Alice’s political savvy and nonconformist behavior alienated as well as intrigued his opponents and allies. When she married a congressman, she carved out her own agendas and continued espousing women’s rights and progressive causes.  Brought together in the wake of their fathers’ friendship, these bright and fascinating women helped each other struggle through marriages, pregnancies, and political upheaval, supporting each other throughout their lives.   A provocative historical novel and revealing portrait, Piper Huguley’s American Daughters vividly brings to life two passionate and vital women who nurtured a friendship that transcended politics and race over a century ago. 

 

My Thoughts:  I love historical fiction, especially American historical fiction.   It is even better when it is about women in America’s history.  

American Daughters is the story of two daughters of important American men, the President of the United States and Booker T. Washington.    I enjoyed watching them become friends.  Even though they were both important daughters, they had their stations in life.   Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington looked to each other for support during life decisions,  dealing with the public, and dealing with the men in their lives.  

American Daughters tells the story of President Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington’s daughters’ friendship and lives.   This book  is a great look at women who became part US history both as themselves and with the men in their lives.  

Thank you William Morrow for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Meet Piper Huguley:  Piper Huguley is the author of the critically acclaimed By Her Own Design, detailing the life of Ann Lowe, the African American fashion trailblazer who designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress, as well two historical romance series, Home to Milford College and Migrations of the Heart, and a contemporary romance steeped in Southern traditions, history, and food, Sweet Tea. A multiple-time Golden Heart finalist, Piper regularly blogs about the history behind her novels. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son.