I'm already on Disc 6. Typically, I save my listening for my work commute, but because this book is so long, I decided to also listen whenever I'm in the car, doing chores or carpooling. The advantage is that I'll get through the book sooner, possibly before it's due. The downside: No more denial over how much time I actually spend carpooling.
The details about Thomas Jefferson's household, the lives of people in the late 1700s and the institution of slavery are fascinating. Gordon-Reed is a historian, and the book reads like a history book, so it can be a little dry, especially when she goes over the complex family trees. It's like all those "begats" in the Bible. But you'd be amazed how entangled Jefferson's and his wife's family trees are with the Hemingses'. HA! I knew that plural proper possessive information would come in handy.
One thing I don't like about the book is that Gordon-Reed is constantly preaching about how black slaves were actually complete, complex human beings with full-fledged feelings and individual talents, personalities and intelligence. I understand that white people who condoned slavery did not acknowledge this, but I do, and I'm sure just about everyone else in 2010 does as well. I get it, Annette Gordon-Reed, I get it. Stop patronizing me.
Last night for dinner, my husband cooked chicken scallopini, rice risotto with musrooms, onions and green peppers, and a green salad, and served a pino grigio.
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