The Hamilton Affair Review

Critics dubbed this as the Hamilton book to read if you want to read a fictionalized account of the near global sensation that is Alexander Hamilton’s life and marriage.

Cobbs manages to get almost everything in Hamilton and Eliza’s life, alternating chapters starting with their childhoods in St. Croix and New York to their first meetings, the revolution, the political hounding and affair and Alexander’s tragic murder.

Most Hamilton novels choose to narrow focus and who can blame them as the two did and experienced a lot through the literal founding of America, becoming icons in their own time and later on, so it’s admirable how Cobbs managed to hit many pertinent points like the unpopularity of the Whiskey Tax that Hamilton pushed Washington to push, prompting the Whiskey Rebellion, Hamilton’s deal with Jefferson and Madison to move the US Capitol, their feelings on the betrayals of Benedict Arnold and Jon Andre, Lee’s insult of Washington and John Laurens dueling him, Hamilton’s time at King’s College and subsequent rise as a debate prodigy, Eliza earlier works in caring for widows and other charities that would soon lead to her most prominant monument in creating the first ophanage. Not to mention the political intrigue of Alexander’s growing number of enemies from former friends like Madison to longtime thorns such as Aaron Burr.

Already a lengthy book at 400 pages and trying to fit two lives into one narrtive, Cobbs necessitates expedience using exposition to blow past several years like Hamilton’s experience with the hurricane and his golden pen that earned him a scholarship to America, the first formation of Washington’s cabinent and Washington stepping down, Hamilton’s disgust of Adams as a president etc.

While I understand the necessity of cutting down and how the musical may have emphasized some events in Hamilton’s life (the hurricane) for the musical’s thematic impact than the actual impact it had on the man, but in so much exposition and breezing through the years, I feel like Cobbs loses some of the emotional intensity. I never truly feel Hamilton’s nor Eliza’s emotions like the agony of the betrayal, the sensation that is the Reynolds affair is glossed over, the death of their son, or the horror of war even though I’m told them. Exposition trumps emotional description.

However, Cobbs takes liberties that have not been explored before like depicting what Hamilton’s life was like on St. Croix where everyone knows he’s the bastard child of Rachel Leviane. The bastard second born child, making it even more unlikely he’ll ever inherit anything since any jobs etc. would go to his half-brother or his older brother first. You can understand the root of Alexander’s sense of inadequacy and hustle, and why he’s so driven to uplift people in America with the ideal that if you work hard enough, you can succeed. You can also view the harsh treatment Rachel deals with as no law or public goodwill is on her side.

Which inevitably connects to Maria Reynolds. . . or does it? Cobbs surprisingly doesn’t make a direct connection between Maria’s abusive situation to Rachel’s. At least not a conscious one that Hamilton recognzies he sees rescuing Maria an extension of rescuing his mother. Rather he views Maria as almost an ego-boost during his lonely summer in the city as someone who doesn’t not hound him with complaints about his policies, give him another child to care for, an extension of all the responsibilities he’s in charge of. Also there’s the illicit forbidden attraction that makes it hard for Hamilton to resist.

It’s interesting to smooth over the potential parallels both women could share but I suppose it’s realistic as who would really want to think you’re having an affair with someone you unconsciously see as your mother. Ugh!

Nonetheless, even though Hamilton struggles with his feelings for Maria, it’s also clear he cares for Eliza in a deeper, more respectful way even though his actions say otherwise.

I also like how Cobbs shows more of hamilton’s family like his children, Phillip, Angelica etc. and how he’s a good father to him which compounds his guilt over the affair and ending it as well as Eliza’s decision to stay with Hamilton for that despite his horrible faults and humiliation, he is a good father and does care for their family despite his disrespectful actions towards her.

I also admire how Cobbs second act in the novel really delves into the ugly political manuvers of the day and how it deeply divided the country. Hehe real life parallels I could joke but that would be depressing. Anyway, you can understand Hamilton’s breadth of frustration with men who also want to make America a great country but disagree over how to do so, and the petty egos that overshadow everything. Not to mention Alexander’s hot temper in meeting every challenge and insult which would lead to his downfall.

Eliza’s part of the novel is much more introspective starting as a sheltered girl, wishing the war would go away and not understanding the importance of liberty and freedom when they had been happy and loyal subject sto King George to embracing these ideals. The second part more directly deals with Eliza’s concerns about their marriage, not only in how Alexander overworks himself but how she has to do the bulk of the housework while Alexander seems to devote time to their country, to his clients, to his enemies, everyone but her. Is her sacrificing her husband to America truly worth it?

Cobbs does a great job in hinging the Reynolds Affair as the impetuous of their changing relationship. Well, Alexander doesn’t completely lose his need to meet every insult (see his death), but it does spur him to elevate family time more. Eliza takes a long time to forgive, understandable considering the circumstances as Alexander seems to care more about how his reputation could hurt his policies that would help the country rather than her humiliation, but it does prompt her to find something to use her time-the orphanage. Okay, not the orphanage that came later but charities but she soon finds that she likes having a sort of goal outside of mothering her own brood and being the famous general/politician’s wife.

Cobbs also tackles the tricky subject of Schuyler family and slavery where Eliza is for it as she sees her family treat her slaves well and feels betrayed when she overhears one talk about running away for freedom. She actually ruffles Alexander’s feathers a bit with her thougthless comments on slavery but slowly she comes to connect the ideals of America’s democratic belief in freedom with the hypocrisy embedded in the Consitution that all men may be free except slaves.

In that sense, Cobbs takes some artistic license in introducing an original character, Ajax Manley a free slave who becomes Alexander’s friend. Taken upon real accounts that Alexander’s family had a slave companion named Ajax when Alexander was a boy and Cobbs felt that with his connections in John Laurens, and the abolitionist movement that she felt Alexander might take interest if he met another man who had shared Ajax’s name and his own unique place in America’s society.

I’m sure one is wondering about other major characters like Aaron Burr who surprisingly doesn’t figure in as much besides Alexander’s general disdain as he has bigger opponents in the Virginian trio of Monroe, Madison and Jefferson (so many Virginians helped found this country apparently). But it does make me wonder if the musical exaggerated how many times they butted heads or if Cobbs wanted to differentiate her novel?

Angelica figures on early on in the novel but less in a sisterly way and more in an arrogant flirtatious shadow that Eliza wishes she could escape from. Honestly, she was kinda unlikable both as a teenager and as an adult who turns her back on her former ideals by bemouning the lack of docile servants in America and how those she does have still agitate for more rights.

Still it’s amazing the range of historical figures that Hamilton and Eliza knew and interacted with, being the founding father I should know this but it was still surprising and exciting to see them navigate the creation and legacy of their new country.

4 stars.