Ben Franklin had a bastard son whom he acknowledged, but the identity of the boy’s mother was never revealed. Ben Franklin’s Secret Love is a witty, whimsical unraveling of this mystery, as Franklin, detained by St. Peter at Heaven’s Gateway, tells the story of his life to justify his scandalous reputation. At the heart of his tale is a star-crossed romance with the mother of his son. But along the way, our charming hero relates his discoveries and explorations: the wonders of the fairer sex, the craft of journalism, the excitement of electricity, proverbs to live by, the charm of Paris, the skill of diplomacy and the passion of America’s Revolution. Ben Franklin’s Secret Love is the “true” confessions of an amorous Founding Father.

A. Robert Smith, an award-winning journalist and the author of ten books, has been an editorial writer, a magazine editor, and a Washington correspondent covering Congress and seven presidents. He was the Washington correspondent for the Portland Oregonian and has been published in the New York Times Magazine. He was the recipient of awards by the Alaska Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists.