In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution by Molly Beer via NetGalley. Many thanks to W. W. Norton & Company for approving my request.
I was motivated to request Molly Beer’s biography because it is described as “A women-centric view of revolution through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton’s influential sister-in-law.” Let’s discuss.
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The Hamilton Connection
Publish Date July 01, 2025
Amazon | Bookshop | Libro
Like a lot of people, I would describe myself as a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet had the chance to be in the room where it happens (pun intended), but I regularly listen to the cast recording, watch the Ham4Ham performances, and I’ve seen the pro-shot. One of my favorite chareacters from the musical is Angelica Schuyler Church, though it’s very possibly that my love for the character was greatly influenced by Reneé Elise Goldsberry’s fantastic performance.
In any case, I was aware that Miranda took some creative liberties with Angelica’s story in Hamilton, so when Molly Beer’s biography showed up on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to smash the request button.
Angelica’s Marriage
One of the things I’ve been thinking about since finishing Beer’s biography was Angelica’s marriage. I knew that the Hamilton song “Satisfied” was misleading on a number of fronts. Angelica was already married at the time she met Hamilton; her pursuing him as a potential spouse wouldn’t have been possible at the time.
What I didn’t realize was all the details surrounding Angelica’s husband, John Barker Church. Church was born in England, got himself into a lot of debt, and fled to the US colonies where he initially went by the last name Carter. During his time in the US, he met Angelica, they fell in love, and eloped because her parents didn’t approve. Church eventually made a fortune, and the couple went to England after the revolution. At this point, Church was able to pay off his debts and everything seems to have been forgiven.
That’s certainly a juicy story. Or at least, I thought so. What I wondered was what Angelica knew of her husband’s financial situation and when she knew it. If Beer covered this, I missed it.
The Thing With Historical Fiction
I’ve written about my complicated feelings with historical fiction and how reading science fiction helped me finally appreciate the value of reading historical fiction. I think Beer’s biography is one situation in which my enjoyment of historical fiction (in the musical Hamilton) colored my experience of nonfiction.
I came across a review for Beer’s biography that talks about how it can feel superficial at times. While Angelica is certainly well researched, it was obviously written with a very different audience in mind than the musical Hamilton. Beer doesn’t dwell on elements of Angelica’s life for dramatic effect, for example. It can feel like it’s missing some of the melodrama of the musical. I agree with this, to an extent.
In Conclusion
I think that Angelica is for people who are looking for a factual account of Angelica Schuyler Church’s life. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something that dwells on the dramatic elements of her life, Beer’s biography might not be for you.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
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