I really enjoyed reading this, it was a solid start to a series, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading it.

A Partial Sun is the first installment of The Tinsmith’s Apprentice Series, which is the fictional story of Isaac Granger Jefferson, a slave of Thomas Jefferson. Sixteen year old Isaac is sent to Philadelphia in 1791, where Jefferson is serving as Washington’s Secretary of State, to apprentice as a tinsmith. 

The novel is the recollection of Isaac, fifty years later, telling his story to Reverend Campbell, a clergyman and aspiring historian. 

This is impressive work. It will obviously appeal to early American history buffs – Bechtel does a masterful job of describing 18th century Monticello, Philadelphia and the intricacies of tinsmithing – but it is much more than an historical travelogue. The real Isaac Granger wrote a memoir and there is abundance of history on all aspects of Thomas Jefferson. Bechtel, mining the historical documents, has imagined a compelling, story that was engrossing from beginning to end.

It is not hagiography, nor is it revisionist history. To me, it felt honest and real.  I look forward to the next installment.

An interesting read for sure - one that is not my usual cup of tea. I chose this to deviate a bit from my usual type of book, and, even though it didn’t titillate my literary brain cells, it was still quite alright.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. I couldn't get in to this one I'm afraid. I found the story muddled.

A Partial Sun is a interesting and well written book. The characters are well developed and the storyline is unique.

A mostly engaging novel set in the 1800s. A good range of interesting characters have good dialogs in an entertaining story. 

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!.

This was an illuminating  and intriguing read. While the book itself is fiction, the people and storyline were very real. I had read books on Jefferson before, but never from the point of view of one of his slaves, and it is a unique perspective I wish I could read more about. Isaac Granger led a fascinating life full of complicated experiences with prejudice, with slavery, with freedom, with love, and with the worth and measure of any given human being. I felt this book conveyed the nuances of slavery to a master who wasn’t cruel and exposed me the reader to the real struggles and class differences amongst all African Americans. I would absolutely recommend this book. In our world today, where prejudice and freedom and issues of human worth are all being questioned, this book is a must read.