American Daughters is about two girls who become friends through their famous fathers, President Theodore Roosevelt & black educator Booker T. Washington. Alice Roosevelt & Portia Washington keep in touch through writing & visiting each other throughout the span of 30 years. They each experience trials in marriage & motherhood, while also having different experiences cause of their skin color & social statuses. It was so interesting to read about these women! I didn’t know a lot about them & I learned so much!

What a fascinating book! This story details the story of two friends, Alice Roosevelt (daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt) and Portia Washington (daughter of Booker T. Washington). The approach to the story was interesting - it was full of historical detail and spanned a long period of time, as the women grew from young adults to wives to mothers and more. Both women's stories were so intriguing, and the writing was beautiful. I did rate this as 3 stars rather than 4 for two reasons. First, the relationship between the women was imagined. I would have liked to learn that at the outset. I am not a fan of historical license when it is not disclosed. Two, the book spanned such a long time that their lives were shared in broad strokes and the details were skimmed over. Nevertheless, I am glad I read this book. I learned alot about this time in American history and also appreciated the perspectives on the changing roles for women, racism, family life, etc. from that era.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Piper Huguley's American Daughters is a stunning historical fiction novel that beautifully intertwines the lives of two young women from vastly different backgrounds. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century America, the story follows Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Portia Washington, the daughter of Booker T. Washington.

Huguley's writing is both lyrical and informative, painting a vivid picture of the era and the challenges faced by these women. The friendship between Alice and Portia is a central element of the novel, offering a unique perspective on the racial and social tensions of the time. Their bond is a testament to the power of human connection and the importance of empathy.

Not what I anticipated but a good book. It covered a lot of time so you need to pay attention to the dates, but once I figured that out it was an enjoyable read about really neat characters.

In full disclosure, I only read about 30% of this novel. It just wasn’t for me. I felt like I couldn’t get into either of the character’s voices. They’re both interesting women, so I had hoped I would click more with the novel. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

American Daughters, by Piper Hugely, is the fictional story of an imagined friendship between two women who were the daughters of famous and gifted leaders in the early part of the twentieth century. I have become accustomed to the lack of citations or references in historical fiction and do appreciate it when I find substantiation. Nonetheless, I felt misled to discover that the whole relationship between Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt was imagined. What made this novel worthwhile were the historically realistic portrayals of racial, class, and gender inequity that made daily life particularly precarious for those that were female, black, or poor...let alone all three! While I don't regret reading this novel, I would have felt more positive and less manipulated if I had known from the beginning that the friendship was imagined and not historically grounded. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review American Daughters by Piper Huguley. This is an amazing book about Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt. Both were women of strength and determination. Their friendship was forged together with a desire to equalize women and empower Black Americans. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about these forward thinking women.

A historical tapestry that centers around the friendship between Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington. I enjoyed learning of their lives and struggles and how they kept their friendship alive.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very cleaver concept to have a comparison of Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington. It is often so overlooked the female friendships of actual woman during that time period. While Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington are important figures and occasionally discussed in American history the only mention of Alice is that she was a 'headstrong' young woman. I enjoyed the writing style of Piper Huguley and how she brought to life Alice and Portia. I think this is a great novel that doesn't shove history down the readers throat but makes them aware of why it is important to remember and know history.
I definitely think everyone should read this novel!
I'm so glad I was able to request it on NetGalley!

Unfortunately the writing took away from the beautiful story that could have been told. The sentence structures and word choice left much to be desired. I felt disengaged from the story but found myself spending time research both women. This tells me that their stories were worth knowing, they just weren't told in an engaging way in this book.

"American Daughters" is a compelling historical novel that explores themes of family, resilience, and the quest for equality, painting a vivid picture of the struggles and triumphs faced by two young women under the public eye. The narrative is rich with historical detail, providing an immersive experience that transports readers to a pivotal era in American history. American Daughters is a deeply moving and thought-provoking read that would make a good literature read for high school and colleges. Definitely recommended reading.

The book is the story of two women, daughters of two powerful men, who meet and instantly become friends. Alice Lee Roosevelt is the daughter of Teddy and Alice Lee. Alice Lee, the mother, died right after her birth leaving Teddy to dismiss the baby, and making Alice a bit of a wild child who raised herself. Portia Washington was the child of Booker T. and Fanny Washington. Fanny also died when Portia was a young child and Portia was sent to school. These childhood losses would be the basis of this friendship that crossed racial, political, and social class lines. Both women married men who weren't the best for them, and that common bond may be what deepened their friendship.

The book was excellent, alternating between the women and their feelings/lives. I have read a few books about Alice Lee; this is the first one I felt she cared about someone other than herself. Any historical fiction fan should find this book engaging. Ms. Huguley did a fantastic job of making me want to be friends with both women.

I learned about lot about this fictional account of the friendship between Portia Washington daughter of Booker T Washington and Alice Roosevelt daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. Again another bit of American history one doesn't learn in school.

Portia, daughter of Booker T. Washington, and Alice, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt forge an unlikely friendship in their youth. Their relationship endures, becoming more significant as the years unfold. The bond they make transcends issues of race and gender in early 20th century politics. Fiery Alice wants to be in the center of everything, while Portia longs for the freedom to immerse herself in the study and practice of classical music. Both have grown up motherless, and both are adored by fathers who don’t have the time to lavish them with attention. American Daughters is rich in historical detail. Alice and Portia may have been secondary players to their fathers’ starring roles, but in American Daughters, the author gives them top billing.

In this fantastic historical fiction novel, readers follow Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington, daughters of two great men in the early twentieth century. Starting with their meeting at the White House in 1901 through their marriages and adulthood, readers alternate between their perspectives across the United States, Europe, and Asia throughout the early twentieth century. With ambitions of political greatness and musical genius, these two young women want more than marriage, families, and the lives that society and their powerful parents are pushing on them, and so they must reconcile their dreams with their realities as they grow up. The characterization of these two women are absolutely wonderful, with contrasts and similarities between them that unify this story. The character growth of Alice and Portia is particularly powerful, especially when readers consider the limitations of their roles in their society in the early twentieth century. As for the historical backdrop, the different settings and the time skips between chapters further set the two narratives apart, allowing readers to easily move between the two narratives. A must-read for fans of Alice Roosevelt or historical fiction in general, Huguley’s book is a detailed, immersive, and incredibly enjoyable novel about two young, clever, and capable women.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.

It was enjoyable to read about two women in history who I didn't anything about previously. Learning about the time period through their live was great. The perfect book for those who enjoy American history.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an incredible story about two women who form an unlikely friendship, Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington. From an inauspicious, cringe worthy beginning, the two eventually form a deep and abiding friendship. The author has a mature and compelling style. The voices and level of historical detail are excellent and immersive.
The story follows the two women as they make their way through a society that only values them as wives and mothers. Alice would have made an excellent politician in her own right. Portia, a talented musician, studied in Germany. Despite her abusive husband and the lack of support for a woman of color with the level of talent she had, she is still able to shine no matter what she does, from teaching to motherhood.
An excellent, inspiring story. I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s novels.

I loved the historical fiction of this story and how the author brought the real people to life and how their relationships might have flowed. It was a great view into history with the different presidency's and how life was back in the early 1900s. It would be great to see this story as a documentary someday.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy. I loved learning about two women in history who were unknown to me. Learning about the time period through their experiences was interesting. The relationship of the two women and their relationships with their fathers was compelling.

4.5 stars

A story of women. A story of history. A a story of friendship. A story of race. A story of politics. While I was reading this book it reminded me of a book I read 20 some odd years ago Having Our Say by the Delaney Sisters. Reading this book about two women in the first part of the last century and all that they lived made me understand the Delaney sister’s decision’s more.
I recommend this book if you love historicals that span many decades and has many moving parts.. This was a well written descriptive journey of a friendship between that lived in two different worlds but managed to have a relationship that spanned a lifetime.