6 h 26 minAudiobook3 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Before the presidency, there are books, student pranks, and the rivalries of a small colonial capital.
In The Youth of Jefferson, John Esten Cooke takes you to Williamsburg before the American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson is a student at the College of William and Mary: serious, curious, and fond of books, but warm and sociable too. Around him, college life meets the manners of Virginia society.
Student tricks test the patience of teachers, while courtship and rivalry draw young men into contests for favor and honor. Beyond the college stand taverns, the governor's circle, and the burgesses. This historical romance brings them into a lively portrait of a small town where youthful high spirits meet social expectations.
What you’ll discover
- Jefferson as a student Meet Cooke's young hero, whose love of books sits alongside a warm, sociable nature.
- A lively colonial capital Explore Williamsburg through its college, taverns, and the circles of Virginia's gentry.
- Mischief beyond the classroom Enjoy student tricks and arguments that put the patience of teachers to the test.
- Courtship and competing hopes Follow young men as romance and rivalry turn favor and honor into personal stakes.
- Manners that reveal character Watch youthful high spirits meet the customs and expectations of colonial Virginia society.
Who will love it
For readers who love nineteenth century historical romance, Virginia history, or a gentle look at the early life of a future president, with college pranks, courtship and rivalry in colonial Williamsburg.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Williamsburg is the stage for youth
- A young Jefferson stands among students
- College mischief and romance drive the tale
- Rivalry shows character and manners
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The Youth of Jefferson
by John Esten Cooke · 1854
Young Thomas Jefferson navigates college pranks, courtship and rivalry in colonial Williamsburg.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
Williamsburg is the stage for youth
The story is set in Williamsburg, the capital of colonial Virginia. The town is small, but it holds the governor's circle, the burgesses and the College of William and Mary. Cooke uses this setting to show a society where learning, rank and old English manners meet.
In this world, young men come to study and to be noticed. They learn Latin and law, but they also learn how to dress, dance and talk in company. The town is a school for life as much as the college is a school for books.
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What is The Youth of Jefferson about?
It is a historical novel about Thomas Jefferson as a student in colonial Williamsburg. It combines college pranks, romance and rivalry, and gives a picture of Virginia society before the Revolution.
Is The Youth of Jefferson a true story?
No. It is fiction built around a real person and a real place. Cooke published it in 1854 and invented much of the plot, so it should not be read as biography.
Who wrote The Youth of Jefferson?
John Esten Cooke, a Virginia author who died in 1886. He is known for historical romances about colonial Virginia and for writing on the Civil War.
The author
John Esten Cooke
1830–1886 · American novelist
John Esten Cooke (1830–1886) was an American novelist born in Winchester, Virginia. He lived in Virginia and served in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. He wrote novels, biographies, and histories, including The Virginia Comedians (1854) and Surry of Eagle’s Nest (1866). He died in Virginia in 1886.
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