The American First Shadow Family: Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings

Mr. Taiman, in his first work of historical fiction, tells the story of Thomas Jefferson which few have tried to tell, and few want to hear. Yes, it is a story of a relationship between a slave, Sally Hemings, and her master Thomas Jefferson
they had four survived children together. Sally Hemings, a very pretty mulatto slave and half-sister to Jefferson's deceased wife, was only 16 years old when Thomas Jefferson, at the age of 46, took her for his own. Mr. Taiman helps readers understand why Sally, a slave, emotionally and physically surrendered to a relationship with Jefferson. He puts forth the theory that Sally experienced Stockholm/slave syndrome, a survival phenomenon. For the first time in American history, a first baby was born to a sitting president: Jefferson had three of the shadow children with Sally during his presidency. The birth of the children added layers of complexity in the shadow relationship, and Sally's overriding concern became their freedom. To protect his legacy, Mr. Jefferson did his best to keep the relationship a secret. He created 'Shadow Rules, ' rules designed to keep his relationship with his slave mistress, a secret. Although Jefferson made great efforts to sanitize his legacy, time and science unveiled Jefferson's 'Shadow Rules'
his secret is no longer foolproof.