Monticello, renowned home of Thomas Jefferson, is the setting for the novel. The house is a reflection of its owner and designer, filled with curios and exciting inventions such as a dumb-waiter, a polygraph for copying letters, and an extensive library filled with books on a variety of subjects.

Like Harriet, the reader is introduced to the many interests of Jefferson and learns to admire his genius. In fact, it is Jefferson who suggests to Harriet that she keep a diary of all the events around her, from farm reports and observations about the weather to a record of her private feelings and emotions. This diary leads us through the period of 1820 to 1822, faithfully chronicling the seasonal work and community life of the estate. In it Harriet also records important visitors such as members of Jefferson's family—his daughter and her husband, Thomas Mann Randolph, and the...