Publisher's Synopsis
The 25th Anniversary Edition of Tina Andrews' award-winning book and screenplay. The book (and the miniseries) recounts the controversial relationship between third American president Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, a slave he owned and with whom he had children. This commemorative edition now offers a new Introduction and images, plus a new Forward with insights from Shannon LaNier, Lucian Truscott, and Dr. Michele Cooley-Strickland-three Hemings/Jefferson descendants. As much history as memoir, author/screenwriter/producer Andrews gives a riveting account of her 16-year struggle to write the controversial CBS four-hour mega-hit miniseries "Sally Hemings: An American Scandal." Andrews cites that after writing a play and later a screenplay called "The Mistress of Monticello," no one would produce a story of miscegenation, potential rape, or, least of all, affection between America's president and his slave. Thus, Andrews' project languished for years. Then on October 31, 1998, DNA evidence was announced proving Jefferson indeed had at least six children with Hemings, and Andrews' phone rang off the hook with interest from producers, studios, and networks. Finally settling on CBS for a four-hour miniseries, she interviewed dozens of Jefferson/Hemings descendants and historians, then set about to script the first full-scale, dramatic rendering of the story. But her troubles did not end there. Script changes and on-set bickering clouded the production. The initial public outcry against a perceived "love story" affected her health...
...Until the miniseries aired. Over 20 million people watched the production. Thousands of positive letters poured into Andrews and the network. Minds were changed. It became CBS' biggest hit of the 2000-2001 season garnering Andrews and the production with five nominations. She became the first African American to win the coveted Writers Guild of America Award, and two NAACP awards-including one for the first edition of this book. Now, 25-years later, Andrews takes a critical second look back. She chronicles how much has changed and showcases Sally Hemings' emergence in a major exhibit at Monticello after the discovery of her room near Jefferson's and the acknowledgment of her children with the third President. As before, the book contains Andrews' award-winning screenplay. A Must-Read!
