Thomas Jefferson on Equality, Faith, Freedom, Compromise, and the Art of Citizenship
Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Jon Meacham offers a collection of inspiring words about how to be a good citizen, from Thomas Jefferson and others, and reminds us why our country’s founding principles are still so important today.
Thomas Jefferson believed in the covenant between a government and its citizens, in both the government’s responsibilities to its people and also the people’s responsibility to the republic. In this illuminating book, a project of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham presents selections from Jefferson’s writing on the subject, with an afterword by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed and comments on Jefferson’s ideas from others, including Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Frederick Douglass, Carl Sagan, and American presidents.
This curated collection revitalizes how to see an individual’s role in the world, as it explores such Jeffersonian concepts as religious freedom, the importance of a free press, public education, participation in government, and others.
Meacham writes, “In an hour of twenty-first-century division and partisanship, of declining trust in institutions and of widespread skepticism about the long-term viability of the American experiment, it is instructive to return to first principles. Not, to be sure, as an exercise in nostalgia or as a flight from the reality of our own time, but as an honest effort to see, as Jefferson wrote, what history may be able to tell us about the present and the future.”
Reviews
This is the America of opportunity, with one wave of immigrants replacing another as they climb higher on the ladder of success, but Momplaisir skillfully reveals why this ladder is missing a few rungs. . . . A needed contribution to this difficult conversation.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“The prose style is tough to describe — sometimes torrential and detailed, sometimes strategically simple. In any case, this one fits into the genre of ‘stay-up-all-night’ books both because it is impossible to stop reading and also because it makes you scared to turn off the light. And it’s the author’s debut, too. Hardcore.”
—Vulture
“Incredible. . . . Many authors would not be able to pull off a novel that encapsulates so many genres and styles, but Momplaisir’s beautiful, poetic prose and impeccable narrative pacing melds [them] perfectly to create a satisfying, slow burning narrative and an unforgettable read that caters to a variety of interests. . . . My Mother’s House tackles some of our most pressing societal issues, including gentrification, racial injustice, and the psychological harm of migration, with rarely encountered grace and an unflinching eye.”
—Tor.com
“Not only is this a startling thriller, My Mother’s House is a gripping examination of immigration, the American Dream and the dangers of toxic masculinity.”
–Ms. Magazine
“A must-read literary thriller.”
–Paste Magazine
“Momplaisir deftly renders the immigrant experience in all its complexity and variety. . . . [My Mother’s House is] an unsentimental tale of resilience in the face of struggle and a particularly modern thriller.”
—Commonweal
“You need to read My Mother’s House. I loved it. From the amazing opening chapter to the end, the book is original, exciting, and beautifully written. Francesca Momplaisir is incredible.”
–Edward Kelsey Moore, author of The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues
“A haunting story of the (Haitian American) immigrant experience amid toxic male dominance—My Mother’s House is unsettling and unlike anything else you will read.”
–Karin Slaughter, New York Times and International Bestselling Author
“Momplaisir is a bold and powerful new voice, and My Mother’s House is poised to blow the roof off.”
–Carolina De Robertis, author of Cantoras
“Francesca Momplaisir’s storytelling is lush, dynamic and captivating, with a sharp eye for details and an honest uncompromising depiction of human visciousness as well as beauty. My Mother’s House is an absolutely gripping read!”
–Sahar Delijani, author of Children of the Jacaranda Tree
“It’s not often a contemporary novel is narrated by an inanimate object. Francesca Momplaisir takes this classic form and combines it with contemporary issues in My Mother’s House, narrated by the titular dwelling . . . Momplaisir illuminates the darker side of immigrant life . . . In [My Mother’s House], cracks of light are always there to penetrate the dark.”
—BookPage
“Momplaisir’s provocative debut unearths the secrets and dark desires of a Haitian immigrant family man living in an anthropomorphic house in Queens, N.Y. . . . Momplaisir’s arresting take on the abuse of male power will long haunt the reader.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Dense with poetic imagery, this debut novel is propelled forward by rich detail. . . . A tour de force; Momplaisir is a writer to watch.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“A shockingly original exploration of class, race, and systemic violence. . . . This house, tainted by the human evil it contains, is reminiscent of the opening line of Toni Morrison’s Beloved. And, like Morrison, Momplaisir uses the tropes of fantasy to try to assert truths that ordinary language and realistic imagery cannot communicate . . . Momplaisir’s debut introduces her as an author to watch.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
