I'm a sucker for a good love story. So when the title of Rodney K. Smith's latest book promised I'd get to read James Madison's love story, I was in! Exactly one year ago today, my review for Smith's previous book went live on Deseret News. Let me just say that book was my favorite read of all 2019. It is so so good. that being said, he'd already set the bar really high and, while I did enjoy Dolley and James Madison, it wasn't quite as good as his previous one.
Just to be clear, the Madisons' love story IS in this book. And it's a delightful one. I had no idea that Dolley had been married before and that her baby and first husband had died so tragically. It was really sad reading about her loss.
Also, I also hadn't realized how unlucky in love James was. What the heck!? Why weren't women falling all over the father of the Constitution? He was already famous for how he'd helped start the country and women weren't giving him the time of day!? Reading about how he'd been blown off before was so heart-wrenching.
Finally, when Dolley and James's courtship went smoothly and they were able to get married I was so happy. I mean, logically I knew that all this had happened more than 200 years ago. But still, my romance-loving heart was pattering away at the two of them finding marital bliss.
As opposed to the title's claim, most of this book is not about James and Dolley's relationship. Rather, this book is much more of James Madison's biography from the few years before he met Dolley to his death, than it is a book about the two of them. Dolley does show up, but not much in this book.
But you know, that's okay. Because reading about all the happenings during James's time serving with President Washington and his own political dealings as president was fascinating. This book doesn't have the mini bios that Smith's previous book did, but that's fine because this book deals more about what James did, as opposed to how he obtained his philosophies.
I really enjoyed reading about the war of 1812. I learned SO MUCH that I had never known before. Reading about how Dolley saved Washington's portrait (I now must take a trip to the East Coast so I can see it in person) and important government papers, all while the British were rushing to attempt to capture her, was especially thrilling.
The one thing that bothered me about this book was Smith's constant references toward how Dolley and James felt. I kept asking myself how he knew what they were thinking and feeling? Without the copious foot/end notes though, I was only left to wonder if he was assuming a lot of the feelings he interspersed throughout the book.
I did appreciate how Smith managed to put a positive spin on both James and Dolley's deaths. James died nearly a pauper (thanks to his stepson) and Dolley died more than a decade later, extremely poor and struggling so much to make ends meet that one of her former slaves often took it upon himself to help her financially. Yet, Smith finds anecdotes of how much these two individuals were admired and loved, helping readers understand that financial power is not the ultimate success in life.
Dolley and James Madison: An Unlikely Love Story that Saved America is a great book that, despite its flaws, is a wonderful look into the lives of the father of the Constitution and his wife. This is volume is a clean book with nothing offensive in it.
Best for ages: adult
Educational factor: extremely high
Moral content: Nothing to worry about
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