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El sonido de la vida
Hanover, Alemania, 1904. Frederick y Jette son una pareja poco convencional cuyo destino se une al conocerse una cálida tarde de primavera en el parque de Grosse Garten. Frederick posee el don de la música, y, Jette, a pesar de su falta de gracia femenina, una sensibilidad especial para apreciar una delicada melodía. Al escuchar de boca de Frederick un aria de La Bohème de Puccini, reconoce en él al hombre de su vida. Poco después, Jette se queda embarazada, y ante la rotunda desaprobación de su madre, deciden huir juntos y embarcarse en el primer buque que zarpe hacia el Nuevo Mundo. El azar les lleva a Nueva Orléans. La pareja acabará instalándose en una pequeña ciudad de Misuri, donde da comienzo la gran historia de amor y supervivencia de cuatro generaciones de una misma familia.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 7, 2012
215 people are currently reading
10526 people want to read
About the author
Alex George
14 books631 followersAlex George is a writer, a bookseller, a director of a literary festival, and a lawyer. He was born in England, but presently lives in the midwest of America.
His novel, A Good American, was published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of Penguin/Putnam, in February 2012. It was a #1 Indie Next Pick, a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers Pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, a Midwest Connections Pick, and a a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. It was a national and international bestseller.
Setting Free The Kites was published in 2017, also by Penguin. It was an Indie Next Pick, a Barnes and Noble Best Fiction Pick, a Library Reads Choice and a Midwest Connection Pick.
His latest novel, The Paris Hours, will be published by Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan, on May 5, 2020.
Alex read law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He moved to the United States in 2003. In addition to writing, he owns an independent bookshop, Skylark Bookshop, in downtown Columbia, MO. He is also the founder and director of The Unbound Book Festival, which will be holding its fifth annual festival in April 2020. Past guests have included Michael Ondaatje, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and George Saunders. He is also a practicing attorney in his spare time.
Alex has been named as one of Britain’s top ten “thirtysomething” novelists by the Times of London, and was also named as the Independent on Sunday’s “face to watch” for fiction in its Fresh Talent feature.
Alex is married to the writer, professor, and critic, Alexandra Socarides. They live in Columbia, Missouri with their four children.
His novel, A Good American, was published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of Penguin/Putnam, in February 2012. It was a #1 Indie Next Pick, a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers Pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, a Midwest Connections Pick, and a a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. It was a national and international bestseller.
Setting Free The Kites was published in 2017, also by Penguin. It was an Indie Next Pick, a Barnes and Noble Best Fiction Pick, a Library Reads Choice and a Midwest Connection Pick.
His latest novel, The Paris Hours, will be published by Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan, on May 5, 2020.
Alex read law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He moved to the United States in 2003. In addition to writing, he owns an independent bookshop, Skylark Bookshop, in downtown Columbia, MO. He is also the founder and director of The Unbound Book Festival, which will be holding its fifth annual festival in April 2020. Past guests have included Michael Ondaatje, Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith, and George Saunders. He is also a practicing attorney in his spare time.
Alex has been named as one of Britain’s top ten “thirtysomething” novelists by the Times of London, and was also named as the Independent on Sunday’s “face to watch” for fiction in its Fresh Talent feature.
Alex is married to the writer, professor, and critic, Alexandra Socarides. They live in Columbia, Missouri with their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,442 reviews
February 7, 2017
Well, that was different. A Good American is, at its heart, a story about a family who immigrates to America before World War I and how successive generations handle life, love, and what comes after. It strongly reminded me of the film, Fried Green Tomatoes, because of the family drama and some of the subject matter. This is an epic tale. Parts of it, I loved. Other parts... I could have lived my life without reading.
I loved Frederick's attitude towards his new country. It's exactly what I imagine my great-great grandfather was like when he came over from Poland. "...Frederick loved America. He loved its big open spaces, the sunsets that drenched the evening sky in blistering color. He loved the warmth of the people. Above all, he loved smell of promise that hung in the air. Europe, he could see now, was slowly suffocating under the weight of its own history. In America the future was the only thing that mattered." pg 57. Frederick throws himself into the American Dream- earning money and providing for his family to the detriment of his relationship with his wife, Jette.
I also loved the parts about music. In this portion, Joseph, Frederick's son, is taking voice lessons from a rather conservative side character named Frau Bloomberg: "...Bloomberg did not approve of most of opera's greatest female characters, who were (in her opinion) either hysterical hotheads or dissolute fornicators. She was determined to protect Joseph from all that depravity. Whenever he asked the meaning of a particular foreign word, Frau Bloomberg said the first thing that came into her head. As a result, when Joseph wistfully sang about the imminent return of a long-lost lover from overseas, he believed that he was telling a touching story about penguins." pg 70
We don't really get to meet the narrator of the story until much later in the book and, I think, that's where the story line became unfocused. A couple chapters deal mostly with young men's coming-of-age and burgeoning sexuality, so there's a lot about masturbation. Everyone does it, I get that, but really, did it have to be such a theme? As I read it, I was wondering what some of the more elderly members of my book club are going to say about it.
In my mind, the first part of the book was the strongest- the origin story of Jette and Frederick. "My grandmother's life had been one long opera. There had been drama, heroes, villains, improbable plot twists, all that. But most of all there had been love, great big waves of it, crashing ceaselessly against the rocks of life, bearing us all back to grace." pg 329. There is a sweetness to their story that the rest of the book is missing.
It may be that this story simply goes on too long, but the author was clearly caught up in his own tale. "Telling stories was still a means of escape. And so I put a fresh sheet of paper into the machine, ready to flee once again. This time I no longer thought about getting published, but just wrote for my own amusement. The journey, not the destination, became the thing, and I rediscovered the simple satisfaction of seeing my ideas materialize before me, sentence after sentence." pg 344 Even though he was speaking through his character, I'm convinced that that bit right there was all Alex George- a manifesto of sorts, written right into the story.
A Good American is also about race, religion, brotherhood, honesty, marriage, fidelity and more. Plenty for a book club to take part and chew over. Recommended for folks who like their historical fiction long and meandering with, sometimes shocking, turns in the road.
I loved Frederick's attitude towards his new country. It's exactly what I imagine my great-great grandfather was like when he came over from Poland. "...Frederick loved America. He loved its big open spaces, the sunsets that drenched the evening sky in blistering color. He loved the warmth of the people. Above all, he loved smell of promise that hung in the air. Europe, he could see now, was slowly suffocating under the weight of its own history. In America the future was the only thing that mattered." pg 57. Frederick throws himself into the American Dream- earning money and providing for his family to the detriment of his relationship with his wife, Jette.
I also loved the parts about music. In this portion, Joseph, Frederick's son, is taking voice lessons from a rather conservative side character named Frau Bloomberg: "...Bloomberg did not approve of most of opera's greatest female characters, who were (in her opinion) either hysterical hotheads or dissolute fornicators. She was determined to protect Joseph from all that depravity. Whenever he asked the meaning of a particular foreign word, Frau Bloomberg said the first thing that came into her head. As a result, when Joseph wistfully sang about the imminent return of a long-lost lover from overseas, he believed that he was telling a touching story about penguins." pg 70
We don't really get to meet the narrator of the story until much later in the book and, I think, that's where the story line became unfocused. A couple chapters deal mostly with young men's coming-of-age and burgeoning sexuality, so there's a lot about masturbation. Everyone does it, I get that, but really, did it have to be such a theme? As I read it, I was wondering what some of the more elderly members of my book club are going to say about it.
In my mind, the first part of the book was the strongest- the origin story of Jette and Frederick. "My grandmother's life had been one long opera. There had been drama, heroes, villains, improbable plot twists, all that. But most of all there had been love, great big waves of it, crashing ceaselessly against the rocks of life, bearing us all back to grace." pg 329. There is a sweetness to their story that the rest of the book is missing.
It may be that this story simply goes on too long, but the author was clearly caught up in his own tale. "Telling stories was still a means of escape. And so I put a fresh sheet of paper into the machine, ready to flee once again. This time I no longer thought about getting published, but just wrote for my own amusement. The journey, not the destination, became the thing, and I rediscovered the simple satisfaction of seeing my ideas materialize before me, sentence after sentence." pg 344 Even though he was speaking through his character, I'm convinced that that bit right there was all Alex George- a manifesto of sorts, written right into the story.
A Good American is also about race, religion, brotherhood, honesty, marriage, fidelity and more. Plenty for a book club to take part and chew over. Recommended for folks who like their historical fiction long and meandering with, sometimes shocking, turns in the road.
April 21, 2012
I would give the first third of this book "4 stars", the second third "3 stars", and the last "2 stars". The story just got too convoluted as it progressed, with the last bit painful to read. Why do I want updates on a 4th generation which was never previously mentioned? I don't care who was married to who, or what careers they chose. It read like a really bad family Christmas card. With that said, there were some lovely characters- Frederick, Jette, Lomax, Joseph and Rosa. I loved their stories, even with all of the heartbreak and tragedy that accompanied them. It was James (the narrator) who I struggled with. I kept waiting for his story to pick up, and it never did. He never appeared really happy and seemed to settle in every aspect of his life. Where others found beauty, James seemed to only find beauty in snatches. Ending with his story was a downer for me. I think I would have preferred the book to just focus on Frederick and Jette and their two children.
January 6, 2012
Growing up most of the kids I knew were either first or second generation Americans whose parents or grandparents immigrated to this country. I was always fascinated by my grandmother's account of leaving Italy, her family and all she was familiar with to sail across the ocean to Ellis Island in order to start a new life of promise. I was hooked right from page one of A Good American. It was like reading a diary of my own family, this saga of the Meisenheimer family leaving their home in Germany for a better life. Frederick and the love of his life, pregnant Jette, flee her mother's wrath and find themselves bound on a ship for New Orleans instead of the originally planned New York. They marry on board the ship, then land and set out across the mid-west, finally casting roots in Beatrice, Missouri. The birth of the baby prevents them from venturing further as planned but Beatrice is a good place, one resided in by many Germans and seems the right place to start their family.
What makes A Good American shine is the storytelling pure and simple. Four generations of Meisenheimers come to life through the eyes of James, the grandson of Frederick and Jette. The author, Alex George, an immigrant himself, uses James and many other wonderful characters to paint a compelling picture of what it like to transition from the old life in Germany to a future in America. It is an universal story of the dreams and struggles of those finding their way to our shores, hoping for an improved life while wishing to maintain their heritage. This is a story filled with love, laughter, conflicts, happiness, sadness, secrets and life's hurts. I couldn't help falling in love with all who bring the story to life, the four generations of Meisenheimers and those who surround them; from the first who cautions Frederick to just be a good American, to a jazz playing trumpeter and other quirky players. Music is weaved throughout, a character in itself and nicely done.
“We cannot exist without our histories; they are what define us.” states James late in the story. It is a telling quote and one that defines the book as well.
A Good American has all the makings for a good book group discussion and seems destined to be a word-of mouth best seller. A debut, it is due to published February 7, 2012 by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint I respect. Get yourself on the list.
What makes A Good American shine is the storytelling pure and simple. Four generations of Meisenheimers come to life through the eyes of James, the grandson of Frederick and Jette. The author, Alex George, an immigrant himself, uses James and many other wonderful characters to paint a compelling picture of what it like to transition from the old life in Germany to a future in America. It is an universal story of the dreams and struggles of those finding their way to our shores, hoping for an improved life while wishing to maintain their heritage. This is a story filled with love, laughter, conflicts, happiness, sadness, secrets and life's hurts. I couldn't help falling in love with all who bring the story to life, the four generations of Meisenheimers and those who surround them; from the first who cautions Frederick to just be a good American, to a jazz playing trumpeter and other quirky players. Music is weaved throughout, a character in itself and nicely done.
“We cannot exist without our histories; they are what define us.” states James late in the story. It is a telling quote and one that defines the book as well.
A Good American has all the makings for a good book group discussion and seems destined to be a word-of mouth best seller. A debut, it is due to published February 7, 2012 by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint I respect. Get yourself on the list.
August 17, 2018
I wanted more Alex George after reading Set Free the Kites, and so recommended this on OverDrive audio to my local library. They came through as they usually do.
I found nothing to complain about here and quite enjoyed it all. From the German immigrant couple settling down in Beatrice, Missouri, in 1904 to present day, we see life in a small Midwestern farming community and the variety of characters and life experiences encountered. The family patriarch Frederick buys a bar and brings music to the town, then volunteers his service during WWI and meets a fellow soldier named Truman who is also from Missouri (think about it). Frederick's four grandsons form a quartet, singing at weddings and funerals. There seem to be more of the latter unfortunately. There were also a lot of storylines driven by music, which I mentioned already, but loved that. Plus a school teacher, a budding author, a boy who wouldn't stop growing, and even the KKK to stir up the pot.
This author creates wonderfully memorable characters which drive his novels and allow us to picture ourselves, through our laughter and our tears, in all their circumstances. Very well done.
I found nothing to complain about here and quite enjoyed it all. From the German immigrant couple settling down in Beatrice, Missouri, in 1904 to present day, we see life in a small Midwestern farming community and the variety of characters and life experiences encountered. The family patriarch Frederick buys a bar and brings music to the town, then volunteers his service during WWI and meets a fellow soldier named Truman who is also from Missouri (think about it). Frederick's four grandsons form a quartet, singing at weddings and funerals. There seem to be more of the latter unfortunately. There were also a lot of storylines driven by music, which I mentioned already, but loved that. Plus a school teacher, a budding author, a boy who wouldn't stop growing, and even the KKK to stir up the pot.
This author creates wonderfully memorable characters which drive his novels and allow us to picture ourselves, through our laughter and our tears, in all their circumstances. Very well done.
December 4, 2011
Fabulous. I'm hazarding a guess that this may be the best book I'll have read for 2012.
Update:
It’s not often that I finish a book and actually caress the cover, but I found myself unconsciously doing that (while wiping away a tear) after turning the last page. First of all the cover of the galley is gorgeous and I hope the finished product has the same artwork and colors. Second of all, I did not want this story to end. The characters, the setting, and the prose were all magical and the stories told through each of the original and sometimes eccentric characters were all moving and compelling. James tells the story of his German immigrant grandparents who settle in a small town in Missouri in the early 1900s and once I got used to the narration suddenly switching from what seemed like third person to first person, the story flowed. Oh, and the music. I can’t forget the arias and the barbershop quartet harmonies that are woven throughout the book. It is all absolutely wonderful.
This is a very special novel and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who have loved John Steinbeck’s EAST OF EDEN, Howard Fast’s THE IMMIGRANTS, or any generational novel with a sense of scope and history. This is also a great book for discussion groups.
And I have to add that I hardly ever think about reading a book twice (Little House on the Prairie series being an exception) but I will be recommending to our library's book group and am 100% willing to read it again. :)
Update:
It’s not often that I finish a book and actually caress the cover, but I found myself unconsciously doing that (while wiping away a tear) after turning the last page. First of all the cover of the galley is gorgeous and I hope the finished product has the same artwork and colors. Second of all, I did not want this story to end. The characters, the setting, and the prose were all magical and the stories told through each of the original and sometimes eccentric characters were all moving and compelling. James tells the story of his German immigrant grandparents who settle in a small town in Missouri in the early 1900s and once I got used to the narration suddenly switching from what seemed like third person to first person, the story flowed. Oh, and the music. I can’t forget the arias and the barbershop quartet harmonies that are woven throughout the book. It is all absolutely wonderful.
This is a very special novel and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to readers who have loved John Steinbeck’s EAST OF EDEN, Howard Fast’s THE IMMIGRANTS, or any generational novel with a sense of scope and history. This is also a great book for discussion groups.
And I have to add that I hardly ever think about reading a book twice (Little House on the Prairie series being an exception) but I will be recommending to our library's book group and am 100% willing to read it again. :)
February 17, 2012
Let me first say that I almost returned this book to the library. I currently have a large obligation (*cough*thesis*cough*) and books have been my temptation for this past semester. Needless to say I decided to read the first chapter to see if it was worth keeping. An hour later and several chapters later I was still reading the book. I eventually forced myself to put the book down to work on my paper. By 3 am I decided that I would read one more chapter and once again I failed at that goal. Crawling into bed at 6am, I decided I would finish the book when I woke up.
Now that I am finished the book, I am extremely happy that I did pick up this book. George has masterfully created a family’s history from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Interweaving history, life, romance, and heartbreak with a graceful touch, George allows the readers to grow up with the Meisenheimer family through several different generations. George also incorporates elements that you hoped he would explain in the next chapter only for them to make an appearance fifty pages later. Even now, I have am having an “aha” moment of little information he disclosed.
This book will make you laugh and then break your heart. It is must read for this year.
Now that I am finished the book, I am extremely happy that I did pick up this book. George has masterfully created a family’s history from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Interweaving history, life, romance, and heartbreak with a graceful touch, George allows the readers to grow up with the Meisenheimer family through several different generations. George also incorporates elements that you hoped he would explain in the next chapter only for them to make an appearance fifty pages later. Even now, I have am having an “aha” moment of little information he disclosed.
This book will make you laugh and then break your heart. It is must read for this year.
November 18, 2015
This books is excellent. It caught my attention with the first pages and except for 1-2 spots, it didn't lose me. I found myself laughing out loud, and also crying. I literally found it hard to put down. Alex George is a wonderful storyteller. I loved following the family history from Germany to Beatrice, Missouri and all the in between times. Especially since both sides of my family immigrated to the US from Germany also. In fact, Frederick was the name of my Grandfather. There is even a surprise ending, that I did see coming before it was mentioned. This didn't ruin the book for me though.
December 4, 2017
This is a novel that contains a multigenerational family tale about life in typical small town Missouri. The story is narrated by the family's grandson and begins with the story of his grandfather who immigrated with his wife from Germany in 1904. His grandparents ended up in this particular Missouri town because this is where their journey was interrupted by the birth of the narrator's father. By happy accident the town happened to be a place where most residents had German surnames and many were still able to speak German. Thus it was easy for them to feel at home and decide to stay and make it their home.
The book from that point proceeds to tell the life stories of the narrator's grandparents and that of his parents. The story then moves on to his own life and that of his siblings. The story captures the reader's empathy by telling unique, funny, and sometimes tragic experiences of the family. The book portrays issues of love, honor, and resiliency played out within complex familial relationships. This book's story in loose general terms could be considered portrayal of a typical American family history with progenitors from another country.
There is one particular story in the book of hilarious miscommunication between a young man and a local preacher that I suspect it may have been the core idea around which the author decided to develop the rest of the book. Through a complicated set of circumstances the preacher becomes convinced that this young man is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In turn the young man believes he must enroll to study in a religious seminary as a substitute for a promise made to God to be a missionary to Africa made during what he mistakenly believed to be a life threatening situation. This funny story is realistic enough to be a misunderstandings that could perhaps last for a couple days. But as portrayed in this book the misunderstandings lasts for many years, actually the rest of their lives.
Any story of twentieth century rural America needs to acknowledge the presences of religion in order to be realistic. The treatment of religion as portrayed in this book is funny and entertaining in a manner acceptable for a popular novel. However, the author has failed to convey feelings of any emotional depth regarding the role of religion among book's characters.
The plot takes an unexpected twist near the end of the novel when the novel's narrator learns something about his own life of which he had previously been unaware. Of course we as readers are surprised along with the narrator as he learns this information.
The plot gets neatly wrapped up by the end of the book with a complete explanation of what becomes of all the book's characters. These are all fictional characters. Nevertheless, by the end of the book the reader has been so thoroughly wrapped up in the multiple tales of all the characters that it will be appreciated information.
The book from that point proceeds to tell the life stories of the narrator's grandparents and that of his parents. The story then moves on to his own life and that of his siblings. The story captures the reader's empathy by telling unique, funny, and sometimes tragic experiences of the family. The book portrays issues of love, honor, and resiliency played out within complex familial relationships. This book's story in loose general terms could be considered portrayal of a typical American family history with progenitors from another country.
There is one particular story in the book of hilarious miscommunication between a young man and a local preacher that I suspect it may have been the core idea around which the author decided to develop the rest of the book. Through a complicated set of circumstances the preacher becomes convinced that this young man is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. In turn the young man believes he must enroll to study in a religious seminary as a substitute for a promise made to God to be a missionary to Africa made during what he mistakenly believed to be a life threatening situation. This funny story is realistic enough to be a misunderstandings that could perhaps last for a couple days. But as portrayed in this book the misunderstandings lasts for many years, actually the rest of their lives.
Any story of twentieth century rural America needs to acknowledge the presences of religion in order to be realistic. The treatment of religion as portrayed in this book is funny and entertaining in a manner acceptable for a popular novel. However, the author has failed to convey feelings of any emotional depth regarding the role of religion among book's characters.
The plot takes an unexpected twist near the end of the novel when the novel's narrator learns something about his own life of which he had previously been unaware. Of course we as readers are surprised along with the narrator as he learns this information.
The plot gets neatly wrapped up by the end of the book with a complete explanation of what becomes of all the book's characters. These are all fictional characters. Nevertheless, by the end of the book the reader has been so thoroughly wrapped up in the multiple tales of all the characters that it will be appreciated information.
July 10, 2014
This novel was a disappointment to me. While the publisher's description sounded intriguing, I found the book to be not at all what I expected. The writing was unimaginative and flat, the characters lacked depth, and the plot was often just... dull.
The first few chapters held some promise. The story of how the two young lovers, Frederick and Jette, meet and decide to leave Germany to escape disapproving family members was interesting, as was their choice to go to New Orleans. New immigrants in the New Orleans of 1904--lots of potential there for a novel. But, inexplicably, the author takes his characters away from the vibrancy, excitement, and possibilities of New Orleans and drops them in a tiny farming community in Missouri.... That ends up being about as exciting as it sounds. Once they are in Nowheresville, Missouri, the novel gets duller and duller, as do the characters. The characters meet boring people and do boring things and... you get the idea.
Supposedly, first-time author Alex George (an immigrant himself) was interested in the theme of what makes "a good American," hence the title. Honestly, I can't see where this theme was explored at all. Odd. At least one reviewer on Goodreads and a book critic have compared this novel to those of John Irving. I see absolutely no comparison between Irving--a master storyteller and a genius at character development--and Alex George.
As with Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus," this is another case in which I'm surprised a publisher thought this novel was ready for release. Both books, I feel, were good IDEAS for a novel, but a decent premise and a well-written, fully-realized novel are just not the same thing. Not at all.
I am adding this to my original review: as several others on Goodreads have pointed out, this novel--rather astoundingly for a book published in 2012-- includes a "Magical Negro" character. Let me expound on this for those not familiar with the archetype, which has been spoken of by Spike Lee. The "Magical Negro" in American films is a supporting African-American character whose sole purpose in the movie is to help out the white main character, often by virtue of some special power, knowledge, or wisdom. He or she is only in the story to teach the white character a lesson or help the white character learn something about himself (think Will Smith's magical black caddy in "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and many characters played by Morgan Freeman). Once the "Magical Negro" has helped the white character, he or she usually disappears from the story, sometimes with a noble and sacrificial death. "A Good American" has a textbook "Magical Negro" in the absurd and implausible character of Lomax. He magically appears, with no backstory, to teach Jette how to cook soul food (thus saving her restaurant) and teach her son how to score with the ladies. Lomax lives for years in the back room of the white family's restaurant, despite the fact that he is the only African-American in a hick white town where everyone but Jette and her family hate him. Oh, and the fact that he was supposedly a coronet player, but dropped that because he just loved this white family so much. Needless to say, Lomax comes to a terrible end when the white characters have learned what they needed to from him. This kind of thing has thankfully been disappearing from American films in recent years. Kind of offensive, creepy, and just plain yucky to find it in a just-published novel.
The first few chapters held some promise. The story of how the two young lovers, Frederick and Jette, meet and decide to leave Germany to escape disapproving family members was interesting, as was their choice to go to New Orleans. New immigrants in the New Orleans of 1904--lots of potential there for a novel. But, inexplicably, the author takes his characters away from the vibrancy, excitement, and possibilities of New Orleans and drops them in a tiny farming community in Missouri.... That ends up being about as exciting as it sounds. Once they are in Nowheresville, Missouri, the novel gets duller and duller, as do the characters. The characters meet boring people and do boring things and... you get the idea.
Supposedly, first-time author Alex George (an immigrant himself) was interested in the theme of what makes "a good American," hence the title. Honestly, I can't see where this theme was explored at all. Odd. At least one reviewer on Goodreads and a book critic have compared this novel to those of John Irving. I see absolutely no comparison between Irving--a master storyteller and a genius at character development--and Alex George.
As with Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus," this is another case in which I'm surprised a publisher thought this novel was ready for release. Both books, I feel, were good IDEAS for a novel, but a decent premise and a well-written, fully-realized novel are just not the same thing. Not at all.
I am adding this to my original review: as several others on Goodreads have pointed out, this novel--rather astoundingly for a book published in 2012-- includes a "Magical Negro" character. Let me expound on this for those not familiar with the archetype, which has been spoken of by Spike Lee. The "Magical Negro" in American films is a supporting African-American character whose sole purpose in the movie is to help out the white main character, often by virtue of some special power, knowledge, or wisdom. He or she is only in the story to teach the white character a lesson or help the white character learn something about himself (think Will Smith's magical black caddy in "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and many characters played by Morgan Freeman). Once the "Magical Negro" has helped the white character, he or she usually disappears from the story, sometimes with a noble and sacrificial death. "A Good American" has a textbook "Magical Negro" in the absurd and implausible character of Lomax. He magically appears, with no backstory, to teach Jette how to cook soul food (thus saving her restaurant) and teach her son how to score with the ladies. Lomax lives for years in the back room of the white family's restaurant, despite the fact that he is the only African-American in a hick white town where everyone but Jette and her family hate him. Oh, and the fact that he was supposedly a coronet player, but dropped that because he just loved this white family so much. Needless to say, Lomax comes to a terrible end when the white characters have learned what they needed to from him. This kind of thing has thankfully been disappearing from American films in recent years. Kind of offensive, creepy, and just plain yucky to find it in a just-published novel.
January 2, 2023
Book on CD performed by Gibson Frazier
5***** and a ❤
This is a family saga, covering four generations of the Meisenheimer family over a century. It begins in 1904 Hanover Germany when Frederick and Jette meet, fall in love and decide to sail for America, ultimately settling in Beatrice, Missouri, a relatively small town on the banks of the Missouri River. We watch them taken advantage of due to their lack of English, but also helped by the kindness of strangers. One of the first to help them refuses any money but asks that they “become good Americans,” a request they take seriously.
The story is told by Frederick and Jette’s grandson, James, as he looks back at his family’s history. As happens in real life, the family intersects with many of the residents of Beatrice: the doctor, pharmacist, bartender, preacher, banker, funeral director, teachers, farmers, those who are prosperous and those down on their luck. We view history through the lens of one family’s experiences – World Wars I and II, the great depression, floods, the assassination of JFK, etc. The one constant for Frederick and his descendants is music. From opera to jazz to barbershop quartets, music accompanies the events of their lives.
In summary, this is a story of immigrants, a story of quintessential Americans, a story of struggle and triumph and defeat and unabashed joy. I absolutely loved it and as soon as I had finished it I wanted to read it again.
Gibson Frazier does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. I only wish that some of the operatic arias could have been sung. But that doesn’t really diminish Frazier’s performance.
5***** and a ❤
This is a family saga, covering four generations of the Meisenheimer family over a century. It begins in 1904 Hanover Germany when Frederick and Jette meet, fall in love and decide to sail for America, ultimately settling in Beatrice, Missouri, a relatively small town on the banks of the Missouri River. We watch them taken advantage of due to their lack of English, but also helped by the kindness of strangers. One of the first to help them refuses any money but asks that they “become good Americans,” a request they take seriously.
The story is told by Frederick and Jette’s grandson, James, as he looks back at his family’s history. As happens in real life, the family intersects with many of the residents of Beatrice: the doctor, pharmacist, bartender, preacher, banker, funeral director, teachers, farmers, those who are prosperous and those down on their luck. We view history through the lens of one family’s experiences – World Wars I and II, the great depression, floods, the assassination of JFK, etc. The one constant for Frederick and his descendants is music. From opera to jazz to barbershop quartets, music accompanies the events of their lives.
In summary, this is a story of immigrants, a story of quintessential Americans, a story of struggle and triumph and defeat and unabashed joy. I absolutely loved it and as soon as I had finished it I wanted to read it again.
Gibson Frazier does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. I only wish that some of the operatic arias could have been sung. But that doesn’t really diminish Frazier’s performance.
May 29, 2024
Be still, my heart. I loved every single word of this wonderful story, of the Meisenheimer family, starting when Jette and Frederick meet in Germany around the turn of the 20th century and begin their love story. They settle in middle America, Missouri, and start their family. It is a lovely, comical, tragic, star-fated, and realistic story, with twists and turns…sort of like real life in a small town. This author just swept me away with his writing, his humor, and just the way he turns a phrase. Strangely enough, his writing reminds me a bit of Anne Tyler. I hated for the story to end. This was a gorgeous book about family-blood family, and the family we choose.
5 huge shiny stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 huge shiny stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 24, 2012
This is a beautiful story of an immigrant family and their lives in America. Frederick and Jette are a young German couple who head for America when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. They wind up in small town Missouri, where they establish themselves and try to become "good Americans." The story is narrated by their grandson, and includes love, heartbreak, quirky characters, tragedy, success.... For the first three-fourths of the book, I was enthralled -- totally engaged by the story and delighted with the smooth lyrical writing. But the last part of the book disappointed a bit. It seemed that the author decided he'd written enough and just "had to get done." The flow of the writing faltered, the story became choppy and the characters faded in intensity and humanity. There was a surprise twist at the end, but by then I'd stopped caring and was eager for the end, just like the author.
3.5 stars for superb writing and engrossing story. Would have been 4.5 if the writing had maintained throughout.
3.5 stars for superb writing and engrossing story. Would have been 4.5 if the writing had maintained throughout.
December 4, 2013
I loved the first 3/4 of this book. It was a beautiful story about an immigrant couple settling in America and making the sacrifices for their family. I loved feeling the struggles of Frederick and Jette and particularly as Frederick went back to Germany to fight in WWI as an American. It gave you a real feel for what it might have been like coming to this country.
The last 1/4 of the book dealt with more modern times and felt a bit more like our current country. It was cheapened with things like affairs and it felt as if a different author wrote this part.
Still, worth a couple of days of my time. I enjoyed it.
The last 1/4 of the book dealt with more modern times and felt a bit more like our current country. It was cheapened with things like affairs and it felt as if a different author wrote this part.
Still, worth a couple of days of my time. I enjoyed it.
February 24, 2012
What a wonderful book! Immigrating from Germany Jette and Frederick make it as far as Beatrice, Missouri and there they set down roots. Frederick loves America and everything in and about it, Jette misses her home in Germany. This is a generational novel, filled with wonderful characters and narrated by a grandson. Continuing threads are a bar, that changes as the times dictate, a love of music from opera to barbershop quartet and a love of chess. The author seamlessly traverses all the great moments in history from World War I to prohibition by allowing the reader to follow this family through all these trials, their sadnesses and losses , their victories and joys. We are left with a book that captures the immigrant experience in wonderful detail and brilliant descriptions.
February 25, 2012
Some books are so lush and beautifully-written you simply want to savor them. A GOOD AMERICAN is such a book.
In 1904 Germany, Jette Furst has fallen in love at first sound. Having heard Frederick Meisenheimer’s magnificent voice through a garden hedge on one of her walks, Jette is smitten, and soon, the young couple are pregnant. Fearful of her mother’s disapproval, Jette and Frederick decide to start a new life in a new land. Bound first for New York, they find themselves rerouted to the small town of Beatrice, Missouri; a change in course that will change the path of their lives, and the lives of their children and grandchildren. When Frederick has the opportunity to purchase the town’s only tavern, The Nick-Nack Inn, he inadvertently secures his family’s legacy, and the pub—and the music and food it offers—will grow to become a defining fixture not only in the town of Beatrice, but in the lives of the Meisenheimers and their closest friends.
But while the Meisenheimers learn to settle in their new home, the world shifts around them—and even in their small town, they are never safe from its reach. While the story is expansive in its chronology and covers an impressive swath of history and some of its most defining world events, at its core A GOOD AMERICAN is as intimate as a family dinner. Alex George has a true gift for knowing the hearts and minds of his characters, no matter their age, gender or background. In his capable hands, they move through heartbreak and victory with equal passion and we the reader can’t wait to follow their journey. We cry with them, we laugh with them; we face fear, first loves, and disappointment with them.
Most of all, we root for them.
In 1904 Germany, Jette Furst has fallen in love at first sound. Having heard Frederick Meisenheimer’s magnificent voice through a garden hedge on one of her walks, Jette is smitten, and soon, the young couple are pregnant. Fearful of her mother’s disapproval, Jette and Frederick decide to start a new life in a new land. Bound first for New York, they find themselves rerouted to the small town of Beatrice, Missouri; a change in course that will change the path of their lives, and the lives of their children and grandchildren. When Frederick has the opportunity to purchase the town’s only tavern, The Nick-Nack Inn, he inadvertently secures his family’s legacy, and the pub—and the music and food it offers—will grow to become a defining fixture not only in the town of Beatrice, but in the lives of the Meisenheimers and their closest friends.
But while the Meisenheimers learn to settle in their new home, the world shifts around them—and even in their small town, they are never safe from its reach. While the story is expansive in its chronology and covers an impressive swath of history and some of its most defining world events, at its core A GOOD AMERICAN is as intimate as a family dinner. Alex George has a true gift for knowing the hearts and minds of his characters, no matter their age, gender or background. In his capable hands, they move through heartbreak and victory with equal passion and we the reader can’t wait to follow their journey. We cry with them, we laugh with them; we face fear, first loves, and disappointment with them.
Most of all, we root for them.
June 6, 2015
A quiet and unpretentious story of three generations simply trying to live the American Dream. When Jette finds herself pregnant, she and her fiancee, Frederick flee to America, wedding on the ship. They find themselves in Beatrice, Missouri. There their son Joseph is born, followed by daughter, Rosa. Frederick embraces his new home and wants to be a "Good American". For Jette, though, she longs for Germany and the home and family she left behind. With time, she too adapts to her new home. Interspersed is the historical events and how the family weathers two World Wars, the Great Depression, discrimination and the Kennedy assassination. Singing and music are the common bond shared throughout the generations. I felt part of the family, sharing their heartaches and joys.
June 25, 2012
When I received a copy of "A Good American" by Alex George, I was surprised to find a musical instrument and musical notes on it's cover. I found the cover to be rather beautiful, but was confused as to why or how music ties into the story of a family. Then I read the book, and I realized what a pivotal role music plays in the lives of the people of one particular immigrant family. However, what I really realized after finishing this novel, is that I will forever remember this book as being one of the most "lyrical" and eloquent gems I've ever come across, in the literary world.
Filled with emotion, drama, warmth, compassion, and extraordinary detail - this novel is sure to amaze you in every sense of the word. The author, with his lyrical and lush prose, takes us on a journey with a couple who migrate from Germany in order to start their family, and onwards with the many other members of the same family, as they grow, assimilate to the culture of their new home, and slowly transform, each following his own dreams and aspirations, to become "a good American" - their roots entwining in the American soil, and nourished by their fondness of music, and their love for each other.
Incredibly poignant, tremendously joyous, full of grace and poetry, filled with humor and sadness, love and heartbreak - this novel is sure to take your breath away. It is an absolute shocker that this is Alex George's first novel, for it does not read like a debut novel at all. Historical fiction, and a family drama, this wonderful story will transport you into an enigmatic, and endearing, world. A MUST READ!!!
Filled with emotion, drama, warmth, compassion, and extraordinary detail - this novel is sure to amaze you in every sense of the word. The author, with his lyrical and lush prose, takes us on a journey with a couple who migrate from Germany in order to start their family, and onwards with the many other members of the same family, as they grow, assimilate to the culture of their new home, and slowly transform, each following his own dreams and aspirations, to become "a good American" - their roots entwining in the American soil, and nourished by their fondness of music, and their love for each other.
Incredibly poignant, tremendously joyous, full of grace and poetry, filled with humor and sadness, love and heartbreak - this novel is sure to take your breath away. It is an absolute shocker that this is Alex George's first novel, for it does not read like a debut novel at all. Historical fiction, and a family drama, this wonderful story will transport you into an enigmatic, and endearing, world. A MUST READ!!!
December 1, 2018
A good solid read. The family wasn't so big that I couldn't keep track of everyone.
Makes you realize how hard life was--life or death hard--from 1890 to 1940 and how easy we really have it today.
Makes you realize how hard life was--life or death hard--from 1890 to 1940 and how easy we really have it today.
February 23, 2023
What a fantastic multigenerational story !! Love this author so much that I went to get another one by him !
March 21, 2012
From scanning the other reviews for this book, I think I am in the minority when I say I really did not like this one. I actually think I would have given it one star, except the author looked cute in his little bio pic. Gah, I just didn't like it! For the life of me I can't understand how something like this gets published. I'll say I liked it in the beginning - the early tales of the first couples life in Germany and then coming to New Orleans. But then I just got over it, big time. The foreshadowing at the end of each chapter? So 7th grade! And SPOILER ALERT but seriously why did everyone die? It started to be like a game with me by the end. Oh - new person introduced into story? They will most surely die a horrible death! And what do you know? They did! The "twists" were just absurd to me. When he had sex with the teacher in the piano room/when his friend died from MASTURBATING, I seriously almost threw the book across the room. Too bad I was on the train, and that probably would have resulted in an arrest for assault. You know what? I like retrospective books/historical novels but this was just as lame as it gets. Sorry Alex, you're cute, but stick to your day job.
October 11, 2011
Stunning, just stunning. Meet the Meisenheimer family through the eyes of grandson James, as he relates the story of his immigrant family through nearly a century of American history. Peppered with remarkable characters: a jazz trumpeter who cooks a mean gumbo, a promiscuous school teacher, a dwarf, and, of course, Frederick and Jette...need I say more? You will laugh out loud, then be brought to tears. The prose is oftentimes poetic, ie., "My grandmother's life had been one long opera". This novel is priceless and a gem of a read.
November 27, 2020
I’m sure that the setting in a fictional small town in Missouri played a role in how much I enjoyed this book. There’s joy & tragedy, good & evil, boredom & regret.
If you don’t have your own local independent bookstore to support, I recommend Skylark Bookshop, a delightful place owned by the author, Alex George, in Columbia. MO.
If you don’t have your own local independent bookstore to support, I recommend Skylark Bookshop, a delightful place owned by the author, Alex George, in Columbia. MO.
February 21, 2012
The book begins a century ago in Germany, where the large, opera-singing Frederick Meisenheimer falls in love with the robust, ungraceful Jette, and woos her with a song from over a garden hedge. Their enthusiastic walks and conversations lead to an enthusiastic enjoyment of one another, and the inevitable happens: Jette becomes pregnant.
Fleeing Jette’s unforgiving mother and a village where they have no future, the two embark upon a journey that takes them to New Orleans, where they marry, and then meet a black cornet player named Lomax whose kindness saves them from ruin. He sends them upriver where Jette’s labor forces them to settle in Beatrice, Missouri. The rest of the novel unfolds generation by generation, one unforgettable character at a time, over the sweeping backdrop of American history.
I can’t remember the last time I read a story that covered a century so comprehensively, but that also helped me get to know characters so well that I laughed with them, cried with them, and gasped at the choices they made or witnessed. As a history lover, I could identify with the narrator, James, looking back over photographs and old marriage licenses, trying to make sense and meaning of the past. James’ commentary made him and his flawed but colorful family very endearing.
From world wars, to Prohibition, to the assassination of President Kennedy, Alex George, gives world events emotional resonance and life through the unforgettable characters he creates. Reminiscent of FOREST GUMP for its connection to the past and for its profound emotional impact, I have no doubt that A GOOD AMERICAN will inspire readers everywhere. If you are a fan of epic family drama, you will love this novel.
Fleeing Jette’s unforgiving mother and a village where they have no future, the two embark upon a journey that takes them to New Orleans, where they marry, and then meet a black cornet player named Lomax whose kindness saves them from ruin. He sends them upriver where Jette’s labor forces them to settle in Beatrice, Missouri. The rest of the novel unfolds generation by generation, one unforgettable character at a time, over the sweeping backdrop of American history.
I can’t remember the last time I read a story that covered a century so comprehensively, but that also helped me get to know characters so well that I laughed with them, cried with them, and gasped at the choices they made or witnessed. As a history lover, I could identify with the narrator, James, looking back over photographs and old marriage licenses, trying to make sense and meaning of the past. James’ commentary made him and his flawed but colorful family very endearing.
From world wars, to Prohibition, to the assassination of President Kennedy, Alex George, gives world events emotional resonance and life through the unforgettable characters he creates. Reminiscent of FOREST GUMP for its connection to the past and for its profound emotional impact, I have no doubt that A GOOD AMERICAN will inspire readers everywhere. If you are a fan of epic family drama, you will love this novel.
February 26, 2012
I'm a big fan of stories that tell the story of a family (many generations is the key to my heart) and this is one of the best I've read lately. We're introduced to Frederick and Jette in 1904 and we part with the Meisenheimers in the 2000s. They are a family attracted to music and filled with the gift of song. They are real -- there are problems, there are solutions, and occasionally, there are just happenings.
The story never felt rushed, it just always felt right. I really enjoyed this book and if you've enjoyed Middlesex or Empire Falls or Cold Sassy Tree, then I think you should give this book a shot.
The story never felt rushed, it just always felt right. I really enjoyed this book and if you've enjoyed Middlesex or Empire Falls or Cold Sassy Tree, then I think you should give this book a shot.
July 1, 2023
Great 4 generation family saga that I enjoyed quite a bit.
Frederick and Jette land in a small Missouri town after crossing the Atlantic in 1904. They build a life for themselves and the children and grandchildren to come. Their journey to become "A Good American" is filled with the everyday people who make our lives what they are and as always there is the joy and the heartbreak that comes with being human.
The story is at first narrated by Frederick and then his grandchild James. I chuckled a lot and thought that most life stories have these same laughable moments and this made the characters very real for me.
An enjoyable read, recommend for those who enjoy a story of family life
Frederick and Jette land in a small Missouri town after crossing the Atlantic in 1904. They build a life for themselves and the children and grandchildren to come. Their journey to become "A Good American" is filled with the everyday people who make our lives what they are and as always there is the joy and the heartbreak that comes with being human.
The story is at first narrated by Frederick and then his grandchild James. I chuckled a lot and thought that most life stories have these same laughable moments and this made the characters very real for me.
An enjoyable read, recommend for those who enjoy a story of family life
November 23, 2017
My 2nd book by Alex George, after reading Setting Free The Kites, I knew I wanted more from this talented author. This a wonderful story that will draw you into the lives of Jette, Frederick and their family. The young couple leaves Germany and sets sail to America. They end up in Missouri and open a restaurant. The story is narrated by their son, James as the family grows and experiences many historical events. I enjoyed every page of this delightful novel!
May 24, 2013
The story had a promising beginning: two outsized young Germans meet in a public garden at the turn of the 20th century. He wins her heart by singing opera songs in foreign languages. When she becomes pregnant, they escape her disapproving mother on a boat bound for New Orleans, settling in a small Missouri town with a predominantly German population.
But this story isn't just about the emigrant couple, Frederick and Jette. It's also about their two children, four grandsons, countless great-grandchildren, and a multitude of townsfolk and strangers that pass through their lives. The narrator of the story is one of those four grandsons, James. The events that occur before his birth, he describes in too much detail for his limited perspective. There's no way that his relatives would (or could) have told him that much. Some of the events within his lifetime are beyond his realm of knowledge, so we can only assume that he's supposed to be making them up. I think it would have been more effective to either use a third-person omniscient p.o.v. or to let various characters tell their own stories.
The themes and plot became too diluted and convoluted along the way. In the beginning, music is a strong theme in the novel, a source of inspiration and unifying force. Although the narrator claims that music is important in his life, that really isn't shown. Instead, literature and chess become just as important. Within James' lifetime, too many characters dance in and out of the story, introduced just to die, it seems. In one rather elaborate set-up, . Seriously? With many of the main (actually important) characters, it felt like the author was trying to figure out what to do with them. The results were mostly interesting, but not always plausible. For example, The young minister was just flat-out ridiculous, and not something that the narrator could ever have known about. Also, the foreshadowing one-liners sprinkled through the novel got on my nerves after a while.
Even with all of this, the novel would still have earned three stars from me, if the author hadn't felt the need to throw in the g.d. twist ending. Out of nowhere, he smacks the reader with . I went back and reread the earlier parts of the book and I can't honestly believe that the author intended to put that twist in when he wrote the original events. The only indication was one tacked-on sentence: Seriously? So I looked at some dates: Throwing that ending in just felt cheap and lazy to me, and obviously, it pissed me off. So, sorry Mr. George, but two stars for you.
I do enjoy Mr. George's writing style, which manages to be both descriptive and straight forward, with very specific word choice. I think he was overly ambitious with this first novel, so perhaps his next one will have a more focused plot to match the language.
But this story isn't just about the emigrant couple, Frederick and Jette. It's also about their two children, four grandsons, countless great-grandchildren, and a multitude of townsfolk and strangers that pass through their lives. The narrator of the story is one of those four grandsons, James. The events that occur before his birth, he describes in too much detail for his limited perspective. There's no way that his relatives would (or could) have told him that much. Some of the events within his lifetime are beyond his realm of knowledge, so we can only assume that he's supposed to be making them up. I think it would have been more effective to either use a third-person omniscient p.o.v. or to let various characters tell their own stories.
The themes and plot became too diluted and convoluted along the way. In the beginning, music is a strong theme in the novel, a source of inspiration and unifying force. Although the narrator claims that music is important in his life, that really isn't shown. Instead, literature and chess become just as important. Within James' lifetime, too many characters dance in and out of the story, introduced just to die, it seems. In one rather elaborate set-up, . Seriously? With many of the main (actually important) characters, it felt like the author was trying to figure out what to do with them. The results were mostly interesting, but not always plausible. For example, The young minister was just flat-out ridiculous, and not something that the narrator could ever have known about. Also, the foreshadowing one-liners sprinkled through the novel got on my nerves after a while.
Even with all of this, the novel would still have earned three stars from me, if the author hadn't felt the need to throw in the g.d. twist ending. Out of nowhere, he smacks the reader with . I went back and reread the earlier parts of the book and I can't honestly believe that the author intended to put that twist in when he wrote the original events. The only indication was one tacked-on sentence: Seriously? So I looked at some dates: Throwing that ending in just felt cheap and lazy to me, and obviously, it pissed me off. So, sorry Mr. George, but two stars for you.
I do enjoy Mr. George's writing style, which manages to be both descriptive and straight forward, with very specific word choice. I think he was overly ambitious with this first novel, so perhaps his next one will have a more focused plot to match the language.
December 24, 2011
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
Wow! I don't know that I would have rushed out to pick this up if I hadn't won a copy but that's what makes the early reviewer's program so great for me. I get exposed to books I wouldn't normally gravitate to and sometimes the result is an absolute treat like reading A Good American. Once I started reading I was so hooked into the story that I could not put it down.
The story begins with Jette and Frederick in 1904 Germany. They get in some hot water and they are forced to flee and wind up in America not speaking a word of English. In short order they find themselves in Missouri where there is a large German population. Through the years they establish their family as they join their community and work to become "a Good American". The book is populated with a large cast of fascinating characters. Many times someone will enter the story just when the family needs their help the most. A particular favorite was Lomax. The family is witness to a lot of pivotal moments in history as well as lot of wonderful and heartbreaking events in their lives. Through it all the Meisenheimer's hold tight through the bonds of love,family, and music.
I don't want to give too much away. I went into this book not really knowing more than the bare bones of the plot and I loved how the book unfolded for me. The story is an excellent one and I highly recommend it. The characters come alive and you genuinely root for them to succeed. I especially loved the character of Jette, particularly in the beginning of the novel. She was the foundation rock of her entire family. I am amazed at how much story the author got in in only 400 pages. This a charming family saga that is a joy to read.
Wow! I don't know that I would have rushed out to pick this up if I hadn't won a copy but that's what makes the early reviewer's program so great for me. I get exposed to books I wouldn't normally gravitate to and sometimes the result is an absolute treat like reading A Good American. Once I started reading I was so hooked into the story that I could not put it down.
The story begins with Jette and Frederick in 1904 Germany. They get in some hot water and they are forced to flee and wind up in America not speaking a word of English. In short order they find themselves in Missouri where there is a large German population. Through the years they establish their family as they join their community and work to become "a Good American". The book is populated with a large cast of fascinating characters. Many times someone will enter the story just when the family needs their help the most. A particular favorite was Lomax. The family is witness to a lot of pivotal moments in history as well as lot of wonderful and heartbreaking events in their lives. Through it all the Meisenheimer's hold tight through the bonds of love,family, and music.
I don't want to give too much away. I went into this book not really knowing more than the bare bones of the plot and I loved how the book unfolded for me. The story is an excellent one and I highly recommend it. The characters come alive and you genuinely root for them to succeed. I especially loved the character of Jette, particularly in the beginning of the novel. She was the foundation rock of her entire family. I am amazed at how much story the author got in in only 400 pages. This a charming family saga that is a joy to read.
November 4, 2018
This expansive, generational saga was bright and original! Alex George is a strong writer. His more recent novel, Setting Free the Kites, is a standout favorite, and I was motivated to read another of his. Here, his portrayal of the Frederick and Jette Meisemheimer and their descendants in Beatrice, Missouri is poignant and at times hilarious. Laced with colorful characters, the unexpected plot twists of A Good American kept me fully engaged. The changes which accompanied each passing era offered realism and even a sense of nostalgia. Below, the author offers a vivid glimpse of how suburbia came to be following the end of WWII.
‘Americans buried their fears (of communism) beneath a mountain of gleaming new appliances. New cars rolled off production lines in Detroit, bodies long and sensuous, sharp lines flashing chrome. People scurried out of the cities, needing somewhere to put all their stuff. Sprawling subdivisions appeared on the fringes of towns, brandishing new houses as chillingly uniform as the endless rows of white crosses freshly planted in the fields of northern France. Those new streets had no fulcrum, no heart, just house after house after house. Community was replaced by commute. Every morning the country climbed into all those sparkling new automobiles and drove off to work.’
In the author’s note following the conclusion, Alex George explains that immigration to America is very much a part of his family experience. An unabashed appreciation for the treasure that this country is and the promise which it holds were refreshing during this era of abiding petulance and lack of grace.
‘Americans buried their fears (of communism) beneath a mountain of gleaming new appliances. New cars rolled off production lines in Detroit, bodies long and sensuous, sharp lines flashing chrome. People scurried out of the cities, needing somewhere to put all their stuff. Sprawling subdivisions appeared on the fringes of towns, brandishing new houses as chillingly uniform as the endless rows of white crosses freshly planted in the fields of northern France. Those new streets had no fulcrum, no heart, just house after house after house. Community was replaced by commute. Every morning the country climbed into all those sparkling new automobiles and drove off to work.’
In the author’s note following the conclusion, Alex George explains that immigration to America is very much a part of his family experience. An unabashed appreciation for the treasure that this country is and the promise which it holds were refreshing during this era of abiding petulance and lack of grace.
May 22, 2015
3.5 stars. 1) I was surprised to find out the author was male, after reading for a bit. 2) I appreciated his beautiful writing and descriptions of the music. Ex: The twins may have hogged the melodies, but my own notes fattened those tunes into glistening slabs of sweet harmony. 3) The novel was going along just fine and then 75% of the way through, it's as if the author realized, "Wait a minute! This is my own book. I can write whatever I want! I can make the characters do anything I want.", and he started creating these situations that were a lot more outlandish. 4) I liked the simple way they lived in the early 1900's - no car, few choices for housing and food, they walked to and from work and anywhere else. And stayed in one little town without ever exploring nearby states, for the most part.
5) I liked how he summed up a marriage that was forced /arranged and didn't start out with any love:
"...Still they seemed happy enough. Frank and Darla muddled through their marriage just fine - better, in fact, than many couples who had chosen each other by more orthodox means. When they had exchanged vows, they were strangers, with no hope or expectations of the other, and this had equipped them well for married life. They were immune to the quiet creep of disappointment that can sour more optimistic unions; there was no heady first blush of romance to be mourned as the years passed. From that joyless ceremony in the empty church, there was nowhere for them to go but up".
Kinda makes a case for arranged marriages.
5) I liked how he summed up a marriage that was forced /arranged and didn't start out with any love:
"...Still they seemed happy enough. Frank and Darla muddled through their marriage just fine - better, in fact, than many couples who had chosen each other by more orthodox means. When they had exchanged vows, they were strangers, with no hope or expectations of the other, and this had equipped them well for married life. They were immune to the quiet creep of disappointment that can sour more optimistic unions; there was no heady first blush of romance to be mourned as the years passed. From that joyless ceremony in the empty church, there was nowhere for them to go but up".
Kinda makes a case for arranged marriages.
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