Benjamin Franklin has always fascinated me and this book just deepened that fascination.

Ok, raise your hand if you'd never even thought of Ben Franklin having a son? (Illigetiment, no less?) Just me, huh?

We've often read of the Civil War splitting up families, but I can't think of ever reading one from the American Revolution and certainly not from the household of one of the major players.

It was really hard to feel sympathy for William and his Tori-ness unless I reminded myself how busy and therefore absent his own father was during his upbringing. It's not like you can gain the love of Democracy, especially creating a democracy out of whole cloth, via DNA, it takes constant attention, just like everything in parenting.

In my mind, family comes first, then politics, religion, and all of the other tightrope subjects. William was no better than his father and his choices were really very similar when it came to their personal lives. None of this is an excuse though and I can't forgive either of them, but my distaste is more so for William Franklin.

Hard to read, seeing politics tearing a family apart, but also enlightening in that all parents and their relationships with kids are really complicated, no matter the century.

This is a fascinating insight into the evolution of Colonial America into a self-governing entity. Also, the detail of the personal lives of the family and connections of Benjamin Franklin allows the reader to gain a window onto a hitherto unknown window on the personal lives of those involved in these momentous events. It held me spellbound.

Most fans of the revolutionary era are familiar with the natural aristocracy that developed in the late 1700s and their feelings of disenfranchisement from the British Empire. One of the most interesting figures that emerged from that time period, Benjamin Franklin, has always been set apart from the other leaders of the American Revolution as eccentric. The Loyal Son, furthers the exploration of Benjamin Franklin's unconventional life by exposing his unique family relationships, which up until now, I knew little about. I found this biography of Franklin and his son fascinating. For me, the best parts were their roles in the militia during the French and Indian War and their dealings with the Native Americans. I was never aware that Benjamin Franklin championed the rights of the Natives. Nor did I know anything about his illegitimate son and what a major role he played in the colonies. Overall, I think anyone who enjoys learning about events leading up to the American Revolution will love this book.

Many thanks to Daniel Mark Epstein, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The book begins with a fictionalized account of Benjamin Franklin traveling home with his infant son born out of wedlock. Although it is in no way based in fact, it is a beautiful story, and I immediately wanted this to be developed into its own book. It has such promise.
War is what faces the colonies during the 1740s with the French and Indians. This infant son whom Benjamin and his common-law wife reared fought bravely at the same time Benjamin retired from publishing.

William, like his father, was a bit of a ladies man, and they were both quite popular when they were sent to England as representatives of the
Assembly. It was at this time that Benjamin began an accounting of monies owed to him by William that would until the end of his life.
Soon it became apparent that William was a Loyalist and Benjamin was a Patriot, a difference of opinion that would cast a shadow on their relationship for the rest of their lives. One of the few times anyone could swear to hear Benjamin argue was with his son over his loyalties. Benjamin was for revolution and colonists' rights; William believed that King's rule was in the right. William would be " the last royal governor conducting the king's business in America." He soon became quite unpopular.

Regardless of the role Benjamin played during the American revolution, which included postmaster general, scientist, and spymaster, it had no effect on how William was viewed or treated. He was a Tory and therefore, the enemy. He was a disgrace. William's son, Temple, also born out of wedlock, often felt caught in the middle of these two enigmatic men; he loved his father, but he was ruled by his grandfather and hopelessly spoiled by him. (Temple would continue the family tradition and also father an illegitimate child.)

Epstein does an excellent job of bringing to light the story of a family torn apart by war. These two strong-willed men would never reunite although the love for one another was never in question. Personality traits come to the surface. I learned quite a bit about one of our nation's founding fathers. Excellent piece of work!

The Loyal Son is a revealing, thorough look at the complicated relationship William Franklin had with his father, Benjamin. The author did excellent research and scoured sources to provide the plentiful material. It was almost as fun to read the notes as it was the text. The Franklin family history was especially intriguing. For four generations illegitmacy was the norm. It was devastating to read in the epilogue the haphazard storage and care of Ben Franklin's letters and the unnecessary destruction of some of those precious missives. Epstein's book adds to the canon of Franklin historiography.

A fascinating look at a little known historical figure and a chance to see Benjamin Franklin in a role we do not know much about - that of father. This book makes history come alive and will be of interest to anyone studying the Revolutionary War generation.