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Wolf by the Ears
Harriet Hemings has always been happy in the comfortable, protected world that is Monticello. She's been well treated there; no one has ever called her a slave. But that is what she is, a slave of a man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. And there are rumors that she might be more than Thomas Jefferson's slave - she might be his daughter.
Now Harriet has to make a choice - to run to freedom or to stay. If she stays, she'll remain a slave. But how can she choose freedom, if it means leaving behind her family, her race, and the only home she's ever known?
252 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1991
14 people are currently reading
1508 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rinaldi
69 books986 followersAnn Rinaldi (b. August 27, 1934, in New York City) is a young adult fiction author. She is best known for her historical fiction, including In My Father's House, The Last Silk Dress, An Acquaintance with Darkness, A Break with Charity, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons. She has written a total of forty novels, eight of which were listed as notable by the ALA. In 2000, Wolf by the Ears was listed as one the best novels of the preceding twenty-five years, and later of the last one hundred years. She is the most prolific writer for the Great Episode series, a series of historical fiction novels set during the American Colonial era. She also writes for the Dear America series.
Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.
Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."
Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.
Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
November 21, 2019
Since I'm currently wrestling with the Hemingses of Monticello (it's good but my God it's dense), I thought I'd dip back into my first introduction to the Hemings family. Bless Ann Rinaldi, who gave me most of my foundation in American history as a kid.
August 13, 2012
Cover Blurb: It looks dated, the girl in the front does not at all look how I imagine Harriet. She looks more Hispanic or Latino descent than African; her features aren’t right.
What I Liked: Like all of Rinaldi’s female characters, Harriet is a strong protagonist, doesn’t have an attitude, is intelligent, and feminine without being weak. I was able to appreciate her struggle, thus her indecision didn’t get as annoying as it could have.
What I Disliked: While I liked Harriet well enough, she was perhaps the least “connectable” out of all the protagonists in Rinaldi’s books that I have read. It wasn’t because of her situation or anything like that; there was just a slight something lacking in her personality. A slight something that I aggravatingly cannot entirely pinpoint, but it was there, making Harriet just slightly less than she could have been.
Believability: Rinaldi does her research, of course; it’s part of why I love her books so much. And Rinaldi presents very believable reasons for, if Thomas Jefferson had children by one of his slaves, why he couldn’t claim them.
Writing Style: Good, as always. I liked how it was told in a loose-journal style. There weren’t daily entries, but monthly ones, with just the month and the year. And never once did the story feel like it was slandering Thomas Jefferson - Rinaldi says in her Author’s Note that that is not the intention of the story, and I believe her. It felt like a work of fiction; an interesting “what if” that is possible, but there is not 100% historical backing for it, and the Author acknowledges this. The views and opinions expressed in the story also felt like the characters’ opinion, and not something the Author was forcing her characters to voice for her. The only negative thing I have to say about writing choice is the pace of the story. It was kind of slow, there was no real climax. Taking Liberty is somewhat similar, and I wish the pacing of Wolf by the Ears had been more like that; then it would have been better.
Content: Blunthead tries to rape Harriet (pg. 88-89), but nothing comes of it, and the Author doesn’t offer details about the event.
Conclusion: As said earlier, there is nothing terribly climatic about it. But it’s realistic. I do, however, wish the story was longer, and had more build-up.
Recommended Audience: Fans of Ann Rinaldi, naturally, and consequently historical fiction fans. This is a girl read, though guys who don’t mind dress descriptions and the like might like it as well.
What I Liked: Like all of Rinaldi’s female characters, Harriet is a strong protagonist, doesn’t have an attitude, is intelligent, and feminine without being weak. I was able to appreciate her struggle, thus her indecision didn’t get as annoying as it could have.
What I Disliked: While I liked Harriet well enough, she was perhaps the least “connectable” out of all the protagonists in Rinaldi’s books that I have read. It wasn’t because of her situation or anything like that; there was just a slight something lacking in her personality. A slight something that I aggravatingly cannot entirely pinpoint, but it was there, making Harriet just slightly less than she could have been.
Believability: Rinaldi does her research, of course; it’s part of why I love her books so much. And Rinaldi presents very believable reasons for, if Thomas Jefferson had children by one of his slaves, why he couldn’t claim them.
Writing Style: Good, as always. I liked how it was told in a loose-journal style. There weren’t daily entries, but monthly ones, with just the month and the year. And never once did the story feel like it was slandering Thomas Jefferson - Rinaldi says in her Author’s Note that that is not the intention of the story, and I believe her. It felt like a work of fiction; an interesting “what if” that is possible, but there is not 100% historical backing for it, and the Author acknowledges this. The views and opinions expressed in the story also felt like the characters’ opinion, and not something the Author was forcing her characters to voice for her. The only negative thing I have to say about writing choice is the pace of the story. It was kind of slow, there was no real climax. Taking Liberty is somewhat similar, and I wish the pacing of Wolf by the Ears had been more like that; then it would have been better.
Content: Blunthead tries to rape Harriet (pg. 88-89), but nothing comes of it, and the Author doesn’t offer details about the event.
Conclusion: As said earlier, there is nothing terribly climatic about it. But it’s realistic. I do, however, wish the story was longer, and had more build-up.
Recommended Audience: Fans of Ann Rinaldi, naturally, and consequently historical fiction fans. This is a girl read, though guys who don’t mind dress descriptions and the like might like it as well.
December 5, 2008
This book is a historical fiction book about a slave girl, Harriet Hemmings, at Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's plantation). She is the slave daughter of Thomas Jefferson. (The author says that Thomas Jefferson had several children with a slave woman after his wife died, but I haven't looked into history to know if this is true or not.)
The author creates a very intersting character in Thomas Jefferson. He is portrayed as someone who does not like slavery or even believe in it, but he owns many slaves. He inherited about 130 of them when his father-in-law died. He is portrayed as a man of principles yet lives as a hypocrit. He says, slavery is holding a wolf by the ears, you can't let it go or you can't continue to hold it. I respect Thomas Jefferson very much, and it is hard to understand his position and motives. I don't know what to think of the man, except what I know to be true. He is one of the founding fathers of this country and he and others risked their lives to provide me with the freedoms that I enjoy everyday.
One of my favorite quotes in the book is when Harriet's mother told her the following: "Times get bad. Sooner or later, for everybody. Those times all you can do is just go on lighting the fire and keeping the family fed and keeping everybody from killing each other. There's more of those days than I like to tell you about. Seems like you are always losing. But you're not. You keep lighting the fire and feeding the children and stopping everybody around you from killing each other and you're winning." The reason why I can relate so much is because sometimes the only thing you can do in life is simply endure. If you can endure you are succeeding. That is just part of life. Enduring counts for a lot in the end.
This was a pleasant read. I really like the main character, the courage and strength that she shows in the end. She does what she does for all the slave women before her, as difficult as is it. I am just not sure what to think of the portrayal of Thomas Jefferson.
The author creates a very intersting character in Thomas Jefferson. He is portrayed as someone who does not like slavery or even believe in it, but he owns many slaves. He inherited about 130 of them when his father-in-law died. He is portrayed as a man of principles yet lives as a hypocrit. He says, slavery is holding a wolf by the ears, you can't let it go or you can't continue to hold it. I respect Thomas Jefferson very much, and it is hard to understand his position and motives. I don't know what to think of the man, except what I know to be true. He is one of the founding fathers of this country and he and others risked their lives to provide me with the freedoms that I enjoy everyday.
One of my favorite quotes in the book is when Harriet's mother told her the following: "Times get bad. Sooner or later, for everybody. Those times all you can do is just go on lighting the fire and keeping the family fed and keeping everybody from killing each other. There's more of those days than I like to tell you about. Seems like you are always losing. But you're not. You keep lighting the fire and feeding the children and stopping everybody around you from killing each other and you're winning." The reason why I can relate so much is because sometimes the only thing you can do in life is simply endure. If you can endure you are succeeding. That is just part of life. Enduring counts for a lot in the end.
This was a pleasant read. I really like the main character, the courage and strength that she shows in the end. She does what she does for all the slave women before her, as difficult as is it. I am just not sure what to think of the portrayal of Thomas Jefferson.
July 1, 2018
Interesting read; especially after having read America's First Daughter last year. Different perspectives of part of the same story.
July 18, 2018
I didn't love it, but I liked it! Rinaldi is basically always good. :D
June 18, 2013
Harriet Hemings is a slave of Thomas Jefferson's and has been all her life. But she's been well cared for, educated and not worked very hard. In a few short years she'll be 21 and that means she will be free. Harriet doesn't want to go, doesn't want to leave her home. How could she? She loves it there, but Harriet soon realizes taking her freedom will be for the best. And so she begins to prepare for her leaving when she turns 21.
This is a historical fiction book about Harriet Hemings, who historians believe is a child Thomas Jefferson had with his one slave, Sally Hemings.
I've read one other book by this author and thought it was quite a good book. I liked this just as much. The author was able to take a story of a real person from history and mixed fiction along with it and it worked well. Harriet has a very strong voice. Her emotions are right there, all out there for you to feel. She is white and African, she is confused. Is Thomas Jefferson really her father? She doesn't want to leave her home and yet she knows she has to. She has to leave everything behind to fit into the white world.
I feel that I was able to relate to Harriet, being of a mixed heritage myself, sometimes it can be confusing and hard to find your place. Sometimes you think there is no place for you, that you cannot be yourself. I related to Harriet's feelings and her confusion. But, Harriet was strong, too. She had courage and no matter what she would be always Harriet Hemings.
The book was very good. If you like historical fiction, I definitely recommend it.
This is a historical fiction book about Harriet Hemings, who historians believe is a child Thomas Jefferson had with his one slave, Sally Hemings.
I've read one other book by this author and thought it was quite a good book. I liked this just as much. The author was able to take a story of a real person from history and mixed fiction along with it and it worked well. Harriet has a very strong voice. Her emotions are right there, all out there for you to feel. She is white and African, she is confused. Is Thomas Jefferson really her father? She doesn't want to leave her home and yet she knows she has to. She has to leave everything behind to fit into the white world.
I feel that I was able to relate to Harriet, being of a mixed heritage myself, sometimes it can be confusing and hard to find your place. Sometimes you think there is no place for you, that you cannot be yourself. I related to Harriet's feelings and her confusion. But, Harriet was strong, too. She had courage and no matter what she would be always Harriet Hemings.
The book was very good. If you like historical fiction, I definitely recommend it.
June 5, 2012
Despite liking Time Enough for Drums and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons, I could not trudge my whole way through Wolf by the Ears. In this book, Rinaldi attempts to tell the tale of Harriet Hemmings, presumed illegitimate daughter of Thomas Jefferson and one of his slaves, Sally. It seemed as if she tried too hard to dance around the controversy of Thomas Jefferson being a respected father of our country and yet a slave holder who apparently was an adulterer with his "servant." The book also emphasized strongly that the slaves were not called such in polite society, but rather servants. I was uncomfortable with a scene that showed an attempted rape of Harriet as well and never truly understood why that was in there other than to perhaps push her to seek freedom, although it didn't seem to have that effect on the character in a defined way. The book was supposed to draw us in to Harriet's struggle whether or not to pursue freedom away from Monticello, but I felt removed from it because the character vascillated far too rapidly for me to understand what she was thinking.
March 14, 2015
"We have the wolf by the ear and feel the danger of neither holding or letting him loose."
- Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, 18 July 1824
To me, this book was kind of inspirational. I was impressed with how strong Harriet was as a character. I loved that she was such a meaningful female protagonist and that her devotion to Jefferson came so naturally. Jefferson was a very intriguing character, especially since history has a way of immortalizing our presidents and "famous people", it was good to see him as a person who made mistakes and had flaws and was "real". This book made historical events and moments in time that are just moments to us and turned them into something that actually had an impact on how people saw their world then. If that made any sense at all.... Anyway, I loved how real Harriet's struggle felt and how all her choices really affected her outcome. And truthfully, one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book is because I kind of fell in love with Jefferson's Monticello and the harmony that surrounded it.
- Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, 18 July 1824
To me, this book was kind of inspirational. I was impressed with how strong Harriet was as a character. I loved that she was such a meaningful female protagonist and that her devotion to Jefferson came so naturally. Jefferson was a very intriguing character, especially since history has a way of immortalizing our presidents and "famous people", it was good to see him as a person who made mistakes and had flaws and was "real". This book made historical events and moments in time that are just moments to us and turned them into something that actually had an impact on how people saw their world then. If that made any sense at all.... Anyway, I loved how real Harriet's struggle felt and how all her choices really affected her outcome. And truthfully, one of the main reasons I enjoyed this book is because I kind of fell in love with Jefferson's Monticello and the harmony that surrounded it.
May 7, 2012
Heather Stewart
Historical Fiction
This is the story of Harriet Hemings who believed she was the illegitimate child of Thomas Jefferson. She is a slave at Monticello but is treated very kindly by the “master”. Her mother will not say outright that he is their father. When Harriet turns 21 she will be given her freedom papers and allowed to leave there forever as a free woman. She doesn’t want to leave Monticello but she knows that if she stays and Mr. Jefferson dies she may be sold and continue to be a slave. She decides that she will “pass” when she leaves which means she will pretend that she is a white person. Her skin is so pale that it will not be a problem for her. This was a great book that detailed the time period really well. It helped me to understand how things were for slaves back then.
Historical Fiction
This is the story of Harriet Hemings who believed she was the illegitimate child of Thomas Jefferson. She is a slave at Monticello but is treated very kindly by the “master”. Her mother will not say outright that he is their father. When Harriet turns 21 she will be given her freedom papers and allowed to leave there forever as a free woman. She doesn’t want to leave Monticello but she knows that if she stays and Mr. Jefferson dies she may be sold and continue to be a slave. She decides that she will “pass” when she leaves which means she will pretend that she is a white person. Her skin is so pale that it will not be a problem for her. This was a great book that detailed the time period really well. It helped me to understand how things were for slaves back then.
July 28, 2016
This was my first Ann Rinaldi book. It was sooo good that I have gone on to read every book of hers I can find. It is written with youth in mind. Many of her books tell the back story to famous men's lives through their daughters.
February 12, 2017
"I'se part of this place. But you ain't.
"You, chile, is part of somethin' else. Somethin' new. Out there.
"Go. However you wants. For all of us."
EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CURL UP IN A CORNER AND CRY.
"You, chile, is part of somethin' else. Somethin' new. Out there.
"Go. However you wants. For all of us."
EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CURL UP IN A CORNER AND CRY.
August 18, 2013
ESCAPING THE VELVET TRAP
Narrated in the first person by Harriet, daughter of the slave,
Sally Hemings of Monticello, this story presents serious historical fiction at the YA level. Meticulously researched by author Rinaldi--who excels in this genre, the book was inspired by a quote from the author of the acclaimed Declaration of Independence. Jefferson himself agonized over the institution of Slavery, describing it as a wolf by the ears, which the country could not handle safely, yet without which the South could not survive economically. At no point in this novel does the Master admit to fathering five children by his devoted slave, Sally. Nor does anyone find even a scrap of paper in his extensive library admitting a relationship other than "Owner" status on his part. So why then does 19-year old Harriet feel in her heart that he is-or might be-her father?
Sally has planned, worked and dreamed for years of her daughter's departure from Monticello-the only world the girl has ever known. Still will not leave as a freed slave, who would not be allowed to remain in Virginia, but rather as a privileged white girl. She needs much preparation to PASS into the white world with safety; of course this means turning her back on her home and family-calling for great sacrifice on the part of both proud mother and brave daughter. This is what some light-skinned slaves have attempted, but it requires constant vigilance against slips of behavior, language and tremendous internal fortitude.
How can naïve Harriet deny her own heritage and ignore the degrading conditions of her fellow slaves who are tortured or humiliated in the white world? How can she endure total separation from her beloved mother, Sally, and her dear old Mammy Ursula--with her good (and bad) voodoo?
No matter where Harriet will find herself in the white world--even with her dear protector who has promised to help her escape and Pass--she will carry intense memories of Jefferson and Monticello. What is the exact price of Freedom? Alas, she will have the rest of her life to ponder this philosophical dilemma in her secret heart. How can she live a lie, even to save her virtue and to make a good life for her future children? How can she turn her back on those dearest to her? What is the best way she can serve the cause of her enchained people in Virginia? Will the Master let her depart without one private word of paternity, for her ears alone? This book is very interesting, with serious sociological matters for students to ponder, either individually or as a class during Black History Month. Harriet's story will haunt readers' understanding of the root of the Civil War.
(October 25, 2011. I welcome dialoque with teachers.)
Was this review
Narrated in the first person by Harriet, daughter of the slave,
Sally Hemings of Monticello, this story presents serious historical fiction at the YA level. Meticulously researched by author Rinaldi--who excels in this genre, the book was inspired by a quote from the author of the acclaimed Declaration of Independence. Jefferson himself agonized over the institution of Slavery, describing it as a wolf by the ears, which the country could not handle safely, yet without which the South could not survive economically. At no point in this novel does the Master admit to fathering five children by his devoted slave, Sally. Nor does anyone find even a scrap of paper in his extensive library admitting a relationship other than "Owner" status on his part. So why then does 19-year old Harriet feel in her heart that he is-or might be-her father?
Sally has planned, worked and dreamed for years of her daughter's departure from Monticello-the only world the girl has ever known. Still will not leave as a freed slave, who would not be allowed to remain in Virginia, but rather as a privileged white girl. She needs much preparation to PASS into the white world with safety; of course this means turning her back on her home and family-calling for great sacrifice on the part of both proud mother and brave daughter. This is what some light-skinned slaves have attempted, but it requires constant vigilance against slips of behavior, language and tremendous internal fortitude.
How can naïve Harriet deny her own heritage and ignore the degrading conditions of her fellow slaves who are tortured or humiliated in the white world? How can she endure total separation from her beloved mother, Sally, and her dear old Mammy Ursula--with her good (and bad) voodoo?
No matter where Harriet will find herself in the white world--even with her dear protector who has promised to help her escape and Pass--she will carry intense memories of Jefferson and Monticello. What is the exact price of Freedom? Alas, she will have the rest of her life to ponder this philosophical dilemma in her secret heart. How can she live a lie, even to save her virtue and to make a good life for her future children? How can she turn her back on those dearest to her? What is the best way she can serve the cause of her enchained people in Virginia? Will the Master let her depart without one private word of paternity, for her ears alone? This book is very interesting, with serious sociological matters for students to ponder, either individually or as a class during Black History Month. Harriet's story will haunt readers' understanding of the root of the Civil War.
(October 25, 2011. I welcome dialoque with teachers.)
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April 10, 2014Um, it was good. It felt much quieter than the other books I've read; in terms of plot it was very placid, with almost all the action taking place inside Harriet's head. This was a feature of A Break With Charity, as well, but it shares with Time Enough For Drums an ever-precipitating social crisis unfolding in the background.
It would be worthwhile, I think, to read this alongside The Hemingses of Monticello — which I haven't read. At times I found myself unable to trust the history quite so readily as I did with Drums and Charity; I think Rinaldi's portrayal of Jefferson was fascinating, but I don't know whether it was accurate. Rinaldi wanted to take some gloss off him, but was she still swayed by his gargantuan presence in American cultural life? Slavery for Harriet and her mother was portrayed very gently, and while I don't know if this is accurate (hence the value of the Gordon Reed book as an adjunct), but sometimes it seemed very cozy. There were moments that I thought it was quite apparent the book was written by a white woman — though, to her credit, Rinaldi's replication of AAVE is much improved in this one; she gets the syntax wrong in Charity or Drums (I forget which).
I wonder if the story would have worked better without the large shadow of the Jefferson and Hemings relationship looming over it? The emotional arc of the story is excellently drawn and would have been thus were it about an entirely fictional slave woman on an imagined early 19th century plantation in Virginia. I suppose Jefferson's presence allows Rinaldi to explore the tension between his philosophies and his private life, but I'm well aware of those tensions, and I don't think Wolf added anything to them. Then again, were I thirteen and being introduced to these ideas for the first time, I might be more invigorated by their novelty.
So... very enjoyable, but not as uncomplicatedly so as the other two I've read. A Break With Charity is probably my favorite thus far.
Also, despite there always being A Boy, he was more marginal to this one than in either of the others: a (very charming) means to an end who appears briefly and even might not be an ongoing part of Harriet's life for long after the novel's last page. The men who play a much larger role (other than the ever-present TJ) are big brother Beverley — who reminded me a lot of the big brother in Drums — and the slave gardener Thruston, who seems most significant as a romantic interest that can never develop even into a initial stage, precisely because the characters lack the liberty to properly consider it, let alone pursue it.
[orig. from comments]
It would be worthwhile, I think, to read this alongside The Hemingses of Monticello — which I haven't read. At times I found myself unable to trust the history quite so readily as I did with Drums and Charity; I think Rinaldi's portrayal of Jefferson was fascinating, but I don't know whether it was accurate. Rinaldi wanted to take some gloss off him, but was she still swayed by his gargantuan presence in American cultural life? Slavery for Harriet and her mother was portrayed very gently, and while I don't know if this is accurate (hence the value of the Gordon Reed book as an adjunct), but sometimes it seemed very cozy. There were moments that I thought it was quite apparent the book was written by a white woman — though, to her credit, Rinaldi's replication of AAVE is much improved in this one; she gets the syntax wrong in Charity or Drums (I forget which).
I wonder if the story would have worked better without the large shadow of the Jefferson and Hemings relationship looming over it? The emotional arc of the story is excellently drawn and would have been thus were it about an entirely fictional slave woman on an imagined early 19th century plantation in Virginia. I suppose Jefferson's presence allows Rinaldi to explore the tension between his philosophies and his private life, but I'm well aware of those tensions, and I don't think Wolf added anything to them. Then again, were I thirteen and being introduced to these ideas for the first time, I might be more invigorated by their novelty.
So... very enjoyable, but not as uncomplicatedly so as the other two I've read. A Break With Charity is probably my favorite thus far.
Also, despite there always being A Boy, he was more marginal to this one than in either of the others: a (very charming) means to an end who appears briefly and even might not be an ongoing part of Harriet's life for long after the novel's last page. The men who play a much larger role (other than the ever-present TJ) are big brother Beverley — who reminded me a lot of the big brother in Drums — and the slave gardener Thruston, who seems most significant as a romantic interest that can never develop even into a initial stage, precisely because the characters lack the liberty to properly consider it, let alone pursue it.
[orig. from comments]
July 23, 2016
I liked this book by Ann Rinaldi;It was filled with lots of folk wisdom and anguished insights. I learned a great deal of what it was like to be the reputed daughter of Thomas Jefferson by his slave Sally Heming. What it must feel like to leave your home to "pass" as a white woman. Leaving both her black and white family behind in order to better her station in life.Harriet's ambivalence about being a slave yet the daughter of the writer of the "Declaration of Independence" comes through strong and clear.
Rinaldi does a fine job getting into the head of daughter Harriet Hemings as Harriet writes in diary form about her life at Monticello. Harriet's own hopes and wishes come to life on the page. Rinaldi's dialogue is outstanding! The themes of freedom, leaving one's old life, coming of age, leaving family behind and the fears of starting anew reverberate throughout the book. Jefferson wrote the quote Rinaldi uses for the title, that slavery is like holding a "wolf by the ears." If you let go, it will bite and if you hold on you have a struggling animal that will rebel and fight.
I'm sure Thomas Jefferson struggled with the paradox of freedom and independence for our fledgling country, yet depended on all his slaves both black and half white. It saddens me to think how this chaste system was alive and well after the Revolution. I learned more about Sally Hemings and Harriet's brothers, one who "passed" as a white man out in the real world. This was clearly one of the only options that mixed race people had back in the 1820s.
This book gave me a lot to ponder and all of Ann Rinaldi's books make me want to read more on the subject. The only criticism I have is many of the "events" take place or are told after the fact. We are in Harriet's head so much of the time. But the characters come to life on the page. Anyone interested in Jefferson, Sally Hemings and this time period fraught with dangers will enjoy this read. It also helped me to understand the complicated genealogy of the Jefferson-Hemings-Randolph connection.
Rinaldi does a fine job getting into the head of daughter Harriet Hemings as Harriet writes in diary form about her life at Monticello. Harriet's own hopes and wishes come to life on the page. Rinaldi's dialogue is outstanding! The themes of freedom, leaving one's old life, coming of age, leaving family behind and the fears of starting anew reverberate throughout the book. Jefferson wrote the quote Rinaldi uses for the title, that slavery is like holding a "wolf by the ears." If you let go, it will bite and if you hold on you have a struggling animal that will rebel and fight.
I'm sure Thomas Jefferson struggled with the paradox of freedom and independence for our fledgling country, yet depended on all his slaves both black and half white. It saddens me to think how this chaste system was alive and well after the Revolution. I learned more about Sally Hemings and Harriet's brothers, one who "passed" as a white man out in the real world. This was clearly one of the only options that mixed race people had back in the 1820s.
This book gave me a lot to ponder and all of Ann Rinaldi's books make me want to read more on the subject. The only criticism I have is many of the "events" take place or are told after the fact. We are in Harriet's head so much of the time. But the characters come to life on the page. Anyone interested in Jefferson, Sally Hemings and this time period fraught with dangers will enjoy this read. It also helped me to understand the complicated genealogy of the Jefferson-Hemings-Randolph connection.
March 28, 2019
Let me start by saying this is more like a 2.5 star rating. I have always really liked Ann Rinaldi's writing, but this one felt off. I could not forget that this was written by a white woman. I am always impressed by the effort and care she puts into researching her books, and I appreciated that she said at the beginning that she tried to treat the subject with care even though she herself can never understand slavery or what it's like to be black. I appreciated that her goal was to deal with the subject of alienation and feeling like you don't belong, but I found it somewhat lacking. I didn't feel like I really got the full picture of Harriet's difficulty in fitting in with either white people or black people as a woman of mixed race. It felt more to me like the conflict lay in her love for Thomas Jefferson and lack of closure about possibly being his daughter. But that isn't the same. I furthermore felt conflicted about the portrayal of Jefferson himself. More than once Harriet says that he is "like a god", and she constantly puts him on a pedestal. Even when she realizes that he only acknowledges her and her family, including her mother, as slaves, it doesn't seem to taint her idea of him, and she barely seems to have any strong emotions about this at all. Jefferson is a complicated historical figure, deeply flawed, but widely celebrated. I didn't get a sense that he was a deep character in this book.
While Harriet did say some very insightful things about the plight of women at the time, I didn't see much attention paid to the plight of slaves, other than the fact that slaves at Monticello were very well cared for. And on the subject of the plight of women AND slaves, there was no parallel drawn between the assault suffered by Harriet and the situation her mother had been in her whole life. Because when one person owns another person there can be no consent.
While Harriet did say some very insightful things about the plight of women at the time, I didn't see much attention paid to the plight of slaves, other than the fact that slaves at Monticello were very well cared for. And on the subject of the plight of women AND slaves, there was no parallel drawn between the assault suffered by Harriet and the situation her mother had been in her whole life. Because when one person owns another person there can be no consent.
February 17, 2020
Harriet Hemings loves her life at Monticello, where the former president Thomas Jefferson is head of the plantation. Although Harriet calls Jefferson "Master," she's never felt the reality of her enslavement, and rumor has it that she and her siblings are the master's mulatto children. Now the impending choice of whether or not to leave her home forever to live life as a free woman is breaking Harriet's heart in Wolf by the Ears by author Ann Rinaldi.
I was thirteen or so the first time I read this YA novel. It was quite the experience for me, getting me to chew on layered concepts that were still new to me at the time, such as the practice of some light-skinned people of color passing for white.
I'll admit my youth and the newness of it all for me back then had me more entranced (so to speak) than I was this time. While I still think it's a fairly rich work of historical fiction, I now recognize that I don't have much reason to like the heroine. She can be pretty childish and melodramatic, with tears coming to her eyes so frequently that it becomes tiring.
While the story sometimes feels like a drawn-out walk to the inevitable, with characters repeating the same sentiments over again, the ironies make the read worth it. The pain comes across well, but the tough, complex ironies of it all are where the story still gets me.
And it ultimately gives me hope. Indeed, the ironic "wolf" situation seemed so impossible to people back then. But time has shown us we didn't need that unjust wolf after all.
Can't let today's wolves stop us from envisioning a better future and fighting for it in whatever ways we can.
I was thirteen or so the first time I read this YA novel. It was quite the experience for me, getting me to chew on layered concepts that were still new to me at the time, such as the practice of some light-skinned people of color passing for white.
I'll admit my youth and the newness of it all for me back then had me more entranced (so to speak) than I was this time. While I still think it's a fairly rich work of historical fiction, I now recognize that I don't have much reason to like the heroine. She can be pretty childish and melodramatic, with tears coming to her eyes so frequently that it becomes tiring.
While the story sometimes feels like a drawn-out walk to the inevitable, with characters repeating the same sentiments over again, the ironies make the read worth it. The pain comes across well, but the tough, complex ironies of it all are where the story still gets me.
And it ultimately gives me hope. Indeed, the ironic "wolf" situation seemed so impossible to people back then. But time has shown us we didn't need that unjust wolf after all.
Can't let today's wolves stop us from envisioning a better future and fighting for it in whatever ways we can.
June 29, 2010
Harriet and her siblings are the children of Sally Hemings a slave, yet hold a special place in the household of Thomas Jefferson. None of the Hemings siblings consider themselves to be truly slaves: all are educated by a private tutor, they are given only light duties, they have full access to Jefferson's library, and all have been promised their freedom when they turn 21. They know that this is because they are probably Jefferson's children, and yet he never publicly recognizes them as such and their own mother will neither confirm nor deny it. However, all of the Hemings children strongly resemble Jefferson, and are light skinned with his red hair, in fact the eldest son Tom so resembles President Jefferson that when guests visit Monticello, Tom is sent away in order to avoid the inevitable stares and whispers. As the story begins, Harriet is approaching her 21st birthday, and is being pressured by all those around her, excepting Jefferson himself, to take her freedom, which she does not want to do because she is caught in 'the velvet trap' and freedom will mean having to leave Monticello. As disturbing events cause the reality of her slave status to finally become real to her, members of the extended Jefferson family who cannot countenance her slavery offer her a radical choice that will mean not only leaving all she knows and holds dear, but also denying her own identity.
This book alternates between scenes that drag, and some that are really compelling. Overall it's a very good read, and highly educational.
This book alternates between scenes that drag, and some that are really compelling. Overall it's a very good read, and highly educational.
May 11, 2014
Meh. More of an 'I'm so bored, I just read every book fifty times and my room is clean and vacuumed and my schoolwork is done and my Spanish vocab is studied and I have no stories to invent and my friends are busy and my mom is working and it's raining so Ii have to stay inside and my brothers are programming and my sister is still brushing her hair and my piano practice is done and I've memorized Frozen and drawn portraits of random people and written in my journal and read the scriptures and swept the bathroom and the kitchen and the front hall and pulled my hair back and I've reattempted to do some futile things like convincing the boys to clean their rooms or organizing my bookshelf and I've yelled at people on TV without actually being in front of the TV and put stuff on my walls and taken it all down and reorganized it and put it back up and checked my email and the mail and listened to The Phantom Of The Opera and Daughtry and Taylor Swift and run around the house and bothered the cat and my brothers and basically done everything that could possibly be done, and this book is kind of lame and lacks action, but I've only read it sixteen times so whatever, guess I'll read it again' sort of book. But I probably won't since I now have Open Library and library card and several thousand new books to read and a pigsty of a room. Although I have been meaning to clean it up and i probably will next week (which is tomorrow).
August 5, 2016
Historical fiction. Told from the eyes of Sally Hemings' daughter, Harriet, who has a relatively easy life as a slave, or "servant" as they are called at Monticello. Rumors abound that she and some of her siblings at least are actually the daughter of former President Thomas Jefferson himself, and although he is kind to the entire Hemings family, Jefferson never acknowledges his fatherhood to the children. When asked, Sally Hemings keeps silent on the subject also. Harriet struggles with not knowing who her father truly is. But as a mulatto who actually has more white blood in her family background than "nigra", she is considered nigra and bears the limitations of being so. By the time of her 21st birthday, she must make the difficult decision of whether or not she will leave Monticello as a freed slave, a promise Jefferson gave his slaves, or stay at the only home she has ever known and loved. Spoiler alert: With the help of Jefferson's son-in-law, Thomas Randolph, she chooses to leave Monticello and pass as a white woman in Washington City (Washing D. C.), never to return home again. She goes on to marry and have children, although the story ends with her successful acceptance as a white woman in Washington.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2013
Harriet Hemings lives in the comfortable and protected world of Monticello. She is the daughter of Thomas Jefferson’s slave, Sally Hemings. Many suspect that Harriet and four of her siblings are Thomas Jefferson’s children as they all have red hair and very light skin. The eldest, Thomas, has already left the plantation and passed himself off as a white man. Beverly will be the next to leave. When Jefferson refuses to send him to the university, Beverly steals a horse and runs away. Harriet knows that she will have to follow her brothers, but she doesn't want to go. Then Ann Randolph’s husband (Ann is Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter) accosts her, and Harriet knows that it’s too dangerous for her to stay. Her life-long friend, Thurston, offers to marry her, but she knows it won't work. There is the danger of being sold after the master dies, and she can’t face that. She won't be safe as a free Negro, either. She must pass for white just like her brothers. The Randolphs contact a man who has visited Monticello, seen Harriet, and offered to help her. Harriet is betrothed to her benefactor, and leaves Monticello as Elizabeth Lackland.
May 8, 2020
I have read these books more than once since purchasing them for our daughters in the 1990's. They are complex enough for adults and do not contain swearing or sex although there is romance.
May 26, 2017
A YA book imagining the diary of Harriet Hemings, confronting emotions and ideas around her family's origins, slavery, racism, freedom. Read this one for book club, and it was fine.
I give Rinaldi a lot of props for writing a book asserting the Hemings-Jefferson connection long before many historians were able to (hell, some still aren't), at a time when suggesting it was still highly controversial. She also writes the issues to a YA-level rather deftly - she seems to know the audience well, and tackles complicated, adult issues in a way that wants younger readers to understand without talking down to them, but also doesn't give them more than they can handle. You can also tell she really did her research.
Still, it feels iffy to me for a white woman to write on the complexities of being biracial and passing, no matter how well-researched. When I gravitate towards a book of my own choosing on these topics, I'll likely choose Nella Larsen's Passing, which I hear excellent things about.
I give Rinaldi a lot of props for writing a book asserting the Hemings-Jefferson connection long before many historians were able to (hell, some still aren't), at a time when suggesting it was still highly controversial. She also writes the issues to a YA-level rather deftly - she seems to know the audience well, and tackles complicated, adult issues in a way that wants younger readers to understand without talking down to them, but also doesn't give them more than they can handle. You can also tell she really did her research.
Still, it feels iffy to me for a white woman to write on the complexities of being biracial and passing, no matter how well-researched. When I gravitate towards a book of my own choosing on these topics, I'll likely choose Nella Larsen's Passing, which I hear excellent things about.
January 13, 2018
I read this some time ago, and enjoyed it them. But unfortunately, it did not hold up on re-reading. Perhaps partly because I know more about the history it is (supposedly) based on — and perhaps also because in the years since it was written new discoveries have been made regarding Thomas Jefferson and the Hemings family.
The story is told from Harriet Hemings point of view, in a journal given her by Jefferson, and covers the last two of three years she lives at Monticello. The author is using Harriet's situation to explore the topic of alienation, but Harriet comes across more as an angsty teenager. I had a hard time grasping the characters of any of the people in the book, even Harriet. And several of them are portrayed in ways, or do things, that are counter to the historical record. I had hoped to be able to recommend this book as a companion to Jefferson's Sons, but I can't.
The story is told from Harriet Hemings point of view, in a journal given her by Jefferson, and covers the last two of three years she lives at Monticello. The author is using Harriet's situation to explore the topic of alienation, but Harriet comes across more as an angsty teenager. I had a hard time grasping the characters of any of the people in the book, even Harriet. And several of them are portrayed in ways, or do things, that are counter to the historical record. I had hoped to be able to recommend this book as a companion to Jefferson's Sons, but I can't.
June 25, 2018
Lisa, North River patron, June 2018, 4 stars:
This work of historical fiction is told from the viewpoint of Harriet Hemings, daughter of Sally Hemings (and very likely fathered by Thomas Jefferson). I was fascinated by the irony of Harriet being a slave at Monticello while also very likely being the daughter of the owner of the estate. Throughout the book, Harriet longs to know if Thomas Jefferson is her father; she thinks of him as being very accomplished and wise but also quite kind and reasonable in his treatment of his slaves. As Harriet approaches the age of 21, she has a difficult decision to make--should she remain at Monticello to be near her mother and other loved ones, try to pass as white in society (which would mean marrying a white man and leaving behind her family and heritage), or make her way in the world as a young black woman? The story allows us to learn of the conflicting emotions and thoughts which weigh so heavily on her mind as adulthood approaches.
This work of historical fiction is told from the viewpoint of Harriet Hemings, daughter of Sally Hemings (and very likely fathered by Thomas Jefferson). I was fascinated by the irony of Harriet being a slave at Monticello while also very likely being the daughter of the owner of the estate. Throughout the book, Harriet longs to know if Thomas Jefferson is her father; she thinks of him as being very accomplished and wise but also quite kind and reasonable in his treatment of his slaves. As Harriet approaches the age of 21, she has a difficult decision to make--should she remain at Monticello to be near her mother and other loved ones, try to pass as white in society (which would mean marrying a white man and leaving behind her family and heritage), or make her way in the world as a young black woman? The story allows us to learn of the conflicting emotions and thoughts which weigh so heavily on her mind as adulthood approaches.
August 28, 2023
Review updated 2023: I wanted to re-read this book (for the 3rd time), right after reading Jefferson's Son's. I still love this book. I love that it is told from Harriet's perspective, and I love that Rinaldi still captures my every attention, just like she did when I was a young girl.
☆☆☆
I really love this book by Ann Rinaldi. She inserts the reader subconsciously into all of her writing, I think. In this tale, I was taken to Jefferson's Monticello and I saw the gardens from a different point of view - that of his daughter and slave, Harriet. Her journey to find herself and who she needs to become is one that I won't ever forget.
Warnings: The use of the word "lordy", one scene where a drunk man tries to "put his hands on" a slave.
☆☆☆
I really love this book by Ann Rinaldi. She inserts the reader subconsciously into all of her writing, I think. In this tale, I was taken to Jefferson's Monticello and I saw the gardens from a different point of view - that of his daughter and slave, Harriet. Her journey to find herself and who she needs to become is one that I won't ever forget.
Warnings: The use of the word "lordy", one scene where a drunk man tries to "put his hands on" a slave.
May 10, 2012
Harriet Hemings and her brothers, children of Sally Hemings, a slave at Monticello, have reason to believe that their father was Thomas Jefferson himself (a question which has been dealt with in biographies and novels before). This is Harriet's story of her years between age 19 and 21, when she ponders whether to stay at Monticello, which she loves, as a slave, or to be given her freedom and to pass as a white woman. Ann Rinaldi writes historical novels for middle/high school ages; this one was particularly interesting to me, and as I edit this now (in 1999) and the controversy as to whether the Jefferson descendants will allow the Hemings descendants to be part of the Jefferson association, this is timely again.
June 13, 2013
This book took me over a year to finish. I bought this as one of my classroom checkout books. I thought the concept was interesting, and it brought up some interesting historical facts. However the book wasn't very exciting. I kept waiting for something to happen, which it never did. The book focuses on the main characters internal conflicts and deals a lot with her being wishy washy about her feelings and her desires for her future. When it finally got to the part I was waiting for the book ended. I did a bit of research after I finished. The author stuck to the known facts, which is why she ended the book where she did. Honestly I had more fun doing my own research about Jefferson and Sally Hemmings then I did reading this book.
February 27, 2008
Ok so it is really good. And mostly true too, well I guess that's the meaning of "historical fiction". It's about ,Harriet Hemmings the daughter of Sally Hemmings who was Thomas Jefferson's "mistress". (because it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry)The stuff you learn about slavery is good, and it really shows how this girl must have felt- not knowing who her father was, but yet having a man TREAT her like his daughter but not being able to tell the world about it. The only bad part about it is that you learn things about how hypocrytical Thomas Jefferson really was, and how he treated his own children as slaves.
February 4, 2009
Written before the conclusive DNA testing that proved Thomas Jefferson did have children with his slave Sally Hemings, Rinaldi's book explores the struggle of Sally's daughter Harriet to understand who she is. She is a light-skinned slave. There are rumors that the master is her father. Her freedom is guaranteed at age 21, but does she dare to take it? Her options are to stay on the plantation where she surely will be married to another slave, to leave the plantation as a free nigra, or to leave the plantation and pass as white.
If you're interested in the controversy over Jefferson and Sally Hemings, this is a riveting read.
If you're interested in the controversy over Jefferson and Sally Hemings, this is a riveting read.
October 29, 2013
Grade Level Equivalent: 6
Summary: This historical fiction story focuses on the life of slave, Harriet Hemings. Rumors fly throughout Monticello that Harriet is the daughter of her master, Thomas Jefferson. Harriet must decide if she takes her chances and runs away to obtain freedom, or stay with her mother and the loving home she's only known her entire life.
Lesson Integration: This story can be used to explore the controversial aspects of slavery. This theme can be integrated into the Civil War objective and how many Southern plantation owners had children of mixed races, and discuss with the students the importance to accept racial diversity in society.
Summary: This historical fiction story focuses on the life of slave, Harriet Hemings. Rumors fly throughout Monticello that Harriet is the daughter of her master, Thomas Jefferson. Harriet must decide if she takes her chances and runs away to obtain freedom, or stay with her mother and the loving home she's only known her entire life.
Lesson Integration: This story can be used to explore the controversial aspects of slavery. This theme can be integrated into the Civil War objective and how many Southern plantation owners had children of mixed races, and discuss with the students the importance to accept racial diversity in society.
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