Sophie Schiller’s Lost Diary of Alexander Hamilton

In the Author's Corner with Etienne

Shows his development from boyhood to manhood and how St. Croix shaped and influenced his character, how he learned about trade, the evils of slavery, and how he lost the most important people in his life: his mother and father. The story of one boy’s struggle to survive amidst all odds in a land of sugar plantations, slavery, and smugglers, a boy who would one day grow up to be a Founding Father. 1765: Alexander Hamilton arrives with his family in St. Croix to begin a new life. He longs for the chance to go to school and fit in, but secrets from his mother’s past threaten to turn him into a social outcast and tear his family apart. When he sees a young African slave being tortured, Alex vows to act. He urges his uncle to buy Ajax and promises to set him free. But tragedy strikes when his father abandons the family and his mother dies of yellow fever. Orphaned and alone, Alex is forced to survive by his wits. By day he works in a counting house learning the secrets of foreign trade. By night he reads Plutarch and dreams of fame and glory. When Ajax is sold to a brutal planter, Alex vows to save him, even at the risk of his own life. With the help of a reluctant slave-catcher, he concocts a plan to rescue Ajax, but when the price for helping a slave run away is torture or death, no one is safe. In this gripping tale, Sophie Schiller re-creates the boyhood of the brilliant boy who would grow up to become a Founding Father and one of America's foremost men. Lovers of Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island, and Johnny Tremain will delight in this tropical adventure. Call in at 515-605-9812. US Air Times: 1:00 pm EST, 12:00 pm CST, 11:00 am MST, and 10:00 am PST. International listeners click here to adjust your time. Or listen to the recorded session at your convenience.