My Thomas: A Novel of Martha Jefferson's Life

by Roberta Grimes

When Martha Skelton finds herself falling in love with a shy young burgess named Thomas Jefferson, it feels like an inconvenience. Widowed at twenty-two, Martha has no desire to lose the independence she has gained in the wake of her husband's death. But she cannot deny her feelings indefinitely. Despite her intentions, her friendship with Thomas develops into an intense and all-consuming love. History casts a shadow on Martha's newfound joy. Through her father's slave and mistress, Betty Hemings, she comes to understand the true nature of slavery, an institution she has always taken for granted. As Betty's revelations tear down the walls of her ignorance, Martha begins to work with her husband to end the despicable practice forever. This story is essentially true. Thomas Jefferson was such an obsessive record-keeper that we know what he was doing nearly every day of his adult life, and all the public things he is quoted as saying in My Thomas come from his contemporary writings. Martha's marriage to Thomas spanned the decade from 1772 to 1782, so it put her at the center of the audacious grab at freedom that was the American Revolution. Jefferson's writings suggest that if he had not been widowed, he would have retired from politics following the war and devoted himself to finding a way to end slavery that could have truly and forever healed the separations between the races. It is hard to read Martha's story now and not think about what might have been.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical Romance, Historical

392 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 1992

About the author

Roberta Grimes is a business attorney who had two experiences of light in childhood. She majored in religion at Smith College, and she spent decades studying afterlife evidence, quantum physics, and consciousness theories in order to understand the fundamentally spiritual nature of reality. She uses fiction to explore human nature and the ways in which spirituality affects our lives.

Reviews

[Breck Baumann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certain novella of the American Revolution peaks my interest when it involves less-known figures of the era, but my hopes weren't high when I picked out this romance from the viewpoint of Jefferson's first and only love, Martha Wayles. In digging up some research about the author beforehand, ideas and plot points from this historical fiction were gathered not only from primary and secondary sources—but also through her communications with the dead and afterlife. Hence, with a sheepish (albeit shameless) grin, I sat back and followed the rather fleeting marriage of Martha and Thomas Jefferson.

Both at the beginning and end, Grimes makes sure to point out that there is no hard evidence that Jefferson had any relationship with his slave Sally Hemings; an odd and rather unnecessary stance to take when your narrator is none other than the recently widowed Martha Wayles Skelton. She covers much of both Thomas and Martha's early lives before their chance-meet at a ball, and Jefferson's pursuit and courtship of young Martha is indeed well-researched and recounted. Monticello, among other highlights of Jefferson’s pursuits of happiness are aptly covered and reimagined:

How can I describe our mountain-top? The cottage is most finely made of brick, and although it is small there is a curious fact that one's mind adjusts to the shape of one's space so now I have forgotten every larger home and I find it is of a perfect size for a husband and wife so dearly in love. It has near below it a row of offices and quarters mixed together, most new-built last summer so only now the wood begins to weather gray. There is, on the very crown of the hill, a most enormous building-site, the great stone cellars ten feet deep and on the northern end of it a great brick room which has just now become my dining-room. That is all there is of our manor to come, but for the moment that is all we need. We have dining with us every night some various number of friends and kin, and while they can generally sleep in Charlottesville or return to their homes at Blenheim or Shadwell or where ever they live, we had no where to feed them. We have used a barn beyond the quarters which is so far from the kitchen that we never enjoyed a warm dish of food. In summer we have set up a table of boards on trestles under the edge of the trees. Now to have a real dining-room!

Because Jefferson burned all correspondence between himself and Martha, I have always been eager to find further information between his wife and their matrimonial intimacy. Therefore, it’s rather regrettable (yet unsurprising) that the novel offers no new factional insight. And yet, while Grimes fabled undertaking of the duo’s love life and marriage does not deliver, it fortunately manages to capture a glimpse of the romantic culture and traditions of the Revolutionary era. I found My Thomas to be best entertained and digested with a glass (or three) of wine, and while expectantly unremarkable—it was rather enjoyable when imaginatively narrated from the voice of a certain Ms. Scarlett O’Hara.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have consumed most works, fiction and non fiction, about Martha Wayles Jefferson. I stumbled across this fiction recently. The author writes as MJ in diary format. Some of the sections dragged. I also think the author was injecting her beliefs As Martha’s voice and makes some statements that I don’t believe MJ would ever have uttered. But then that’s why it’s historical fiction.

[Serena Gulledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Thomas and Martha Jefferson, while not as popular- or as controversial- as his relationship with Sally Hemings, gets its due with this book as told through Martha's point of view. She views Jefferson as only a wife can, so I found his portrayal in this book as a tad over-romanticized. I still enjoyed the book, and I'd recommend it to history fans.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The diary-entry style of writing was sometimes hard to follow as it focused on daily details and not on an organized plot. Intriguiging premise and some moments of magical imagined recreation of the past. I liked it immensely even though I am curious and skeptical about the author's own views.

[Amber]

Ugh I was so intrigued and yet I've grown ambivalent. Love the premise of this book and hope others love it as well DNF FOR ME.

[Norma Bush · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to an audiobook. She should have invested in an experienced narrator. Her voice is flat, devoid of inflection.

[Luthien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the founding fathers’ wives—sometimes called the “founding mothers”—were inspirational, even heroic. (See: Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison.) Some were pitiable and even tragic. (See: Patrick Henry’s first wife, Sarah.)

Martha Jefferson would probably fall into the latter category. Unfortunately, she left very little impression on the historical record. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles, particularly when your husband is Thomas Jefferson.

That’s not to say her life didn’t matter, or that Jefferson didn’t adore her (he did, by all accounts). It just means that we see her through rose-colored glasses. Fuzzy rose-colored glasses, at that, because Jefferson—infamously an intensely private man—burned all their letters after she died.

Therefore, there’s not much to go on when it comes to, you know, writing a novel.

I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, and it’s an admirable effort on Roberta Grimes’. She clearly did a good deal of research, and it isn’t her fault that there’s so little of Martha to research. Perhaps she looked forward to using artistic license to fill in the gaps in the historical record. Who knows.

I do know that Jefferson probably burned their letters to keep his married life as private as possible—and here it is in all its fictionalized glory. If memory serves, Ms. Grimes alleges that he burned them to protect Martha’s memory because she wrote, I don’t know, racy things to him or something…? It was weird.

Also, it’s pretty clear that she thinks Martha died because—forgive me—her husband couldn’t keep it in his pants and kept getting her pregnant. Her many pregnancies probably didn’t help her ill health, but as they say, it takes two to tango.

Overall, this was a decent effort, but if you’re going to write about a Jefferson woman, maybe Martha Jefferson Randolph—his daughter—would be a better choice. She not only lived through the Revolution, but accompanied her father to Paris and served as his First Lady (when Dolley Madison wasn’t filling in).

And if you just want to write about a founding mother, Abigail Adams was fabulous. Now talk about a life worthy of a novel. (I just really love her. Sorry.)

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Thomas is author Grimes' own love letter to Thomas Jefferson, a man of strong convictions, principles and contradictions. Using the device of his wife Martha's private Journal, rescued by one of the Jefferson's slaves, Ms. Grimes puts a more human face on this eminent statesman in this First Reads giveaway I won.

Little is known about the actual Martha Jefferson because of her husband's penchant for destroying personal papers to preserve his privacy, but I'm not convinced that the Martha imagined here could have been capable of the profound influence she apparently had on him. Their personal views, values and educations just seem to be at such polar opposites. Her character does grow and develop throughout the book, so that she eventually holds an even more seemingly radical point of view than her husband's, but her willfulness has such a strong element of selfishness that I found it difficult to envision this couple's "perfect communion of minds", or even to like her.

The details of the every day life of colonial Virginia's gentry are meticulously researched here, and provide an interesting window into the cares of managing a plantation from the woman's domestic sphere, and the attitudes toward slavery and human rights which shaped both of the Jefferson's opinions.

[Judith Leipold · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author claims to have Tom, himself, as a spirit guide in writing this book. If this were true, I would expect something more than one star. The book takes the form of a journal written by his young wife, Martha (aka Patty, Nancy, etc) alternating with letters to her from her husband. Not a bad concept if it weren't so overwritten and under edited. Despite being married to an incredibly interesting man, the author(s) succeeded in making this perhaps the most boring book I have ever read. The most interesting (and intelligent) perspectives are from a handful of slaves (they owned 187). TJ seemed to occupy most of the book worrying about his wife while Martha begins most of her journal entries apologizing for not writing more often. I even wondered at times if TJ would go on to become our 3rd President of the United States or if he would die of boredom listening to his wife drone on. Fortunately for him, and us, he never read his wife's journal. Thus going on to become the founder father that he was. Sorry to include this spoiler.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today most anyone knows that slavery is and always was wrong. But what if you were born in a world where it existed? Jefferson and his contemporaries honestly believed that they couldn't just get up one morning and tell the slaves they were free. Could the slaves survive without masters? Could the slave owners survive without the unpaid farm laborers and domestic servants? It was a conundrum. Leave today behind and pay a visit to the 1700's. You'll find that it was cold and muddy and primitive. Infant mortality was so common that it was not unusual to give your next child the same name as the one you just buried. I find that historical fiction is a great way to learn history without the need to just memorize all the names and dates.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating imagining of Thomas Jefferson's wife Martha's diary. Little is known about her or their relationship (Jefferson guarded her legacy closely and mourned her heavily), but Grimes had given readers an excellent guess at what Martha Jefferson would have been like. She seems like exactly the sort of woman Jefferson would have gone for: spirited, intelligent, beautiful, etc. This depiction of Martha made me able to imagine the extent of Jefferson's grief. Highly enjoyable and thoroughly researched! Recommended for anyone interested in Thomas Jefferson. Even traditionally non-fiction readers might get pleasure out of this.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha Wayles Skelton is a 22 year old widow when Thomas Jefferson comes in to her life. She had no intention of remarrying but fell deeply in love with her Thomas.

I was fascinated with many aspects of this story. The research was extraordinary. I particularly enjoyed the details of the clothing worn during this time period.

Thomas Jefferson was portrayed not only as a brilliant mind who loved his books, almost as much as his wife, but also as a kind man with a heart who cared and fought for the equality of all.

Although, I thought that I grasped the horror of slavery, this book gave me more insight about that tragic time in our history.

[Mary Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this imagining of the life and thoughts of Thomas Jefferson’s wife, Martha, whose story is told in the form of a diary. It was especially interesting to see how her thoughts about slavery evolved as she ages from a pampered Southern belle to a mature woman who finally sees the slave she grew up with, and who is really her best friend, as a full human being. It is frustrating not to know how much of this story can be supported by historical documentation. But it is interesting to read if only as a story of personal growth and a love story between the Jeffersons.

[F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from the goodreads-first-reads free giveaway. The format of the book was interesting but as I continued reading, it became a bit dull and boring. I think it would have been better to have some historical content or documentation surrounding the entries or to split into chapters. It is written in a 'diary' fashion and you get an idea of Martha attempting to describe Thomas in a positive light and also describe her emotions towards him but it becomes monotone.

[Cook Memorial Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful love story as well as fascinating portrait of famous men of the era. Diary format from Martha, Thomas Jefferson’s young wife.

Recommended by staffer Connie.

Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/... thomas grimes

[Anna Marini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend My Thomas. It is a terrific, well written historic novel; it contains little known historical information about Thomas and Martha Jefferson. Ms. Grimes command of the written word is beautiful and reminiscent of a modern-version Jane Austen style. Thomas and Martha Jefferson's love story is not to be missed. You won't be able to put it down!

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this novel at the time I read it - it is an imagination of the marriage between Thomas and Martha Jefferson. You can only surmise, given that all their letters to one another were destroyed, but this was written in an interesting and plausible way.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a long and arduous book to read but in the end I truly did like it and it was a huge insight into the lives of Thomas Jefferson and his wife and the times in which they lived. Anyone who likes to read history brought to life would enjoy this book.

[Debbie Sarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this wonderful book. Since my last reading, I have read many more historical novels and this one stands the test of time.

[MJ]

was somewhat interesting, but just not in the mood for and too many other
books to fit in....made it about half way through

[Gennie Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. It helped me to see Thomas and Martha Jefferson and their relationship in a different light. A little slow in some places but overall it was an enjoyable read.

[Louanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After taking a course on Thomas Jefferson, this book is an entertaining read that fits in very well to what I know to be true about this extremely complicated man.

[Caroline Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book from Goodreads. Fans of Historical Novels will love this. Very detailed writings from Martha Jefferson's diaries.

[Gail Bartels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and will read some others by this author. I found the lives very interesting and was able to relate to the history of the time.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly uncheesy. If this book is to be believed, Martha was quite the spitfire and a bit of a sexpot. I should like to have been her friend.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martha was Thomas’s wife but was never First Lady.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn't expect to like this book, but I really did.

[Aria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, but I am of the mind that the author wrote this book solely to elaborate on her ever so deep conviction that Mr. Jefferson did not sleep with his slaves. She does seem absolutely obsessed with that thought. After reading the story, it did seem like the entire tale was written to support this conviction, and really had not much to do with Martha at all. As written, Martha sadly came off as but an ill-used author's tool to spread the message of Jefferson's presumed fidelity, and to bestow upon him some kind of beatific halo. Once I was done with the book, it all just settled kind of weird. I can't say I'd recommend it, but I can say I was disappointed that I really didn't learn much about Martha. I'm sure there had to be more to her than what was seen in this book.