NONFICTION

Assertions that Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson's slave and his wife's half sister, bore him six children, four of whom survived him, have understandably been controversial. And Annette Gordon-Reed, mindful of that, offers in "The Hemingses of Monticello" a scholarly, thoughtful and always nuanced brief for the relationship's existence.

A professor of law (New York) and history (Rutgers), Gordon-Reed meticulously documents as far as possible her case that Jefferson had a family with Sally Hemings. She bases her case on the available evidence -- documents and writings of period -- rather than DNA tests, which are more suggestive than definitive.

She begins with histories of both the Hemings and Jefferson families, then Jefferson's marriage to Martha Wayles Skelton, whose inheritance of the Hemings slaves brought them to Monticello, where their complicated relationship with Jefferson began. This relationship took Sally and brother James to France and then back to Monticello, where the Hemings clan lived a more privileged life than Jefferson's other slaves.

The lives of Sally's relatives are also detailed as Gordon-Reed tracks the relationship at the heart of the book. With much of the story set in that unpredictable territory, the human heart, what is inevitably missing are those personal documents -- letters and diaries -- that would have recorded the feelings of all those involved. Hemings could not speak out, and Jefferson was silenced by his reputation, the times and his temperament.

She notes that he was "deeply passionate and emotional . . . [and] although generally cheerful and optimistic, when faced with a tough and seemingly intractable problem, could break down or act in ways designed to render the problem invisible." Though not excusing his behavior, she does acknowledge the complexities of his political and personal situation.

Given the widespread rumors of the relationship and his prominence, Jefferson could not, though he promised, publicly free Sally and her children or admit they were family. Toward the end of his life, there were also financial reasons for him not to free all his slaves: His daughter Martha and her family depended on him financially, he owed considerable amounts of money and Monticello had to be sold after his death.

Gordon-Reed has written not only a fair-minded and, where appropriate, critical account of Jefferson's behavior, but also an affecting account of slavery's toll. Slaves bore the brunt, but whites, even the best and brightest, were as a consequence morally maimed. This is an important book.
Judith Chettle is a Richmond-based book reviewer and writer.