TO THE GIRLS AND BOYS

This collection is made up of the letters Thomas Jefferson wrote to and received form his children and grandchildren. He was widowed at 41. Of the six children his wife had given him, two daughters, Patsy and Polly survived to become his correspondents and it was by letter that he attempted to be both a mother and a father. Affectionate, informative, instructive, occasionally chiding, Jefferson to his daughters was in training for the delights of corresponding with a large brood of grandchildren. Through all his business years and two administrations, Jefferson always took the time to write to his grandchildren. Of these, Ellen Randolph, one of Patsy's daughters, emerges from her letter as a strong personality. She shared many of Jefferson's interests and some of the word pictures she sent him about Monticello while he was in the White House are reminiscent of the graphic entries Queen Victoria made in her girlhood journals. For the general reader, this provides interesting insight into the family and the social history of Jefferson's era. The market however will probably be limited to special and academic audiences.