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Stephen Paul Mahinka's avatar

Beautifully written and with interesting insights. Would love to see what you come up with at lovely Monticello. A privilege to read these essays, and look forward to your new book.

Leah Redmond Chang's avatar

Thanks for the kind note, Stephen, and for reading. I think I should definitely schedule a trip to Monticello - I love it there, and now I am so curious to know more about what these young women were writing to Patsy. When I do, I will be sure to post about it!

Margie Clayman's avatar

This is so coooool!!!

Leah Redmond Chang's avatar

Thanks, Margie, aren’t these letters fantastic? Patsy enthralls me and now I want to know more. But I always love seeing these old letters up close. Somehow they seem to tell us things about the people writing them that we wouldn’t have guessed.

Kim Trahan's avatar

This is so interesting! It's a period of history I haven't been really enthralled with, until now. Thanks so much for this lovely and insightful post!

Leah Redmond Chang's avatar

Thanks for reading, Kim! Hearing Patsy’s voice through her letters, and seeing those pages of Jefferson’s handwriting brought them alive for me. That’s why I love the old stuff, the actual letters. So many micro-stories waiting to be told.