The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr

August 5, 2019
Scott (I, Eliza Hamilton) imagines the life of Mary Emmons, an enslaved woman from India who had a relationship with Aaron Burr, providing her a voice that highlights the hypocrisy and cruelty of the white imperialists around her
. Born in Calcutta and sold into slavery at age eight, Mary learns at an early age to use her wits survive. She is brought to the American colonies on the eve of revolution and is eventually sold to the wife of Col. Aaron Burr, Theodosia Prevost. Mary is drawn to the kind, enigmatic Burr, and as they tend to the dying Theodosia, he and Mary begin an affair that challenges the rules of society and the very notions of freedom at the heart of the new American experiment. While the plot and pacing can be plodding and predictable, Scott’s deeply empathetic heroine is sure to keep readers hooked; both her inner strength and the strength of her relationships—such as the connection she has to her fellow enslaved people in India—elevate and anchor the story. Though not exactly revolutionary, this is a moving and vivid work of historical fiction. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

September 1, 2019

Sold into slavery at a young age, Mary is transported from India to the New Jersey household of Theodosia Prevost, the wife of a British officer fighting in the Revolutionary War. Theodosia's passionate adulterous affair with a young Aaron Burr has unexpected consequences for Mary when she becomes the target of his unwanted sexual advances. Over the next decades, Mary's increasingly complicated relationship with Burr dominates her life. The author of more than 50 novels, including 2017's I, Eliza Hamilton, Scott once again takes advantage of the craze for all things Hamilton and Hamilton-adjacent. Very little is actually known about the historical figure of Mary Emmons, but Scott has created a memorable protagonist whose persistence and courage are often inspiring. However, many readers may feel uneasy about the "romantic" relationship that begins with Burr repeatedly raping an enslaved woman. It is often unclear whether Mary's subsequent actions are simply her trying to make the best of a bad situation or if she has actually fallen in love with her rapist, and the book would have benefited from spending more time exploring her inner life. VERDICT Readers misled by the title to expect a less disturbing love story will certainly be disappointed.--Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign P.L., IL

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