48 pages 1 hour read

Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie

America's First Daughter

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016

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Important Quotes

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“I never told Polly how that woman clouded his judgment. No, I held that secret for him with all the others.” 


(Chapter 8, Page 113)

Patsy is acknowledging her role as the guardian of her father’s secrets. This comment, made while she’s still a teenager, indicates just how long she’s already borne that burden.

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“It wasn’t the stare of an old man, a humiliated lover, or a widower resigned to bachelorhood. It was the stare of a man who contemplates damnation and salvation.” 


(Chapter 8, Page 122)

Patsy observes her father’s attraction to Sally. Her comment implies that this is something more than a simple dalliance, and the risks it carries are enormous. 

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“‘And he knows you least of all. You’re his Amazon disguised as an angel.’” 


(Chapter 9, Page 135)

William makes this observation about Patsy’s true nature. It indicates not only Jefferson’s self-absorption, because he can’t see this trait in his daughter, but also Patsy’s inability to understand herself.