Heyday

by Kurt Andersen

During one monumental month in 1848, gold is discovered in California, the United States wins its first foreign war, rebellion erupts throughout Europe, and an eager English gentleman named Benjamin Knowles plunges into love with the strong-minded New York actress and part-time prostitute Polly Lucking. He also meets her brother Duff, a dangerously damaged veteran of the Mexican War, and befriends the unforgettable Timothy Skaggs-journalist, daguerrotypist, mischief maker, stargazer.

As they set out on a wild, extraordinary transcontinental race west, lured by the prospect of easy wealth and new beginnings, they are unaware that a stranger bent on revenge shadows their every move.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, New York, American, 19th Century, American History

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Kurt Andersen is the author of the novels Turn of the Century, Heyday, and True Believers, and and, with Alec Baldwin of You Can't Spell America Without Me. His non-fiction books include Fantasyland, Reset and The Real Thing.

He is also host of the Peabody Award-winning weekly public radio program Studio 360,.

Previously, Kurt was a co-founder and editor-in-chief of the satirical magazine Spy, editor-in-chief of New York magazine, a columnist for New York, staff writer at The New Yorker, and design and architecture critic for Time.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not worth the 800+ pages and God knows how many hours I spent on reading it (I'm a masochist who has to finish a book, even if it's not enjoyable reading it). Anderson clearly hopes this is at the level of "Ragtime" or even "The Alienist," but it's neither as well written or entertaining to read as either of those books. At best it's like fan fiction written for history buffs, with his Mary Sue lead character bumping into the notable figures of that era. Also maybe it's nitpicking of me to complain about incorrect place names when it's a writer from New York who happens to be writing about the area I grew up in and gets some of the facts/locations from the Gold Rush totally wrong (there's no Coloma River around here and you can't see Sutter's Fort while sailing on the Sacramento River. Also it's hard to suspend disbelief over the four characters not suffering any of the typical hardships (cholera, Sierra Snow dumps, flooding, etc) that miners and settlers in the region had to contend with.

However I don't think it's nitpicky to say that I'm really tired of the old 'hooker with a heart of gold' cliche getting trotted out when a historic novel calls for a female character who's supposedly independent minded and a feminist. Sure women didn't have a whole lot of career/financial independence options back in the 19th century, but it's so played out and ultimately just serves as an easy hook to keep the male readership focused on that one character. Even more insulting when you realize that specific character is basically a flaky New Age obsessed would-be actress with bad taste in men, which isn't independent minded or feminist no matter what century you're depicting. Could somebody in publishing declare a moratorium on this one specific character type?

Overall pretty flat characters and no real compelling storyline. You'd be better serving reading about the actual colorful figures and characters that lived in Northern California and Gold Country during that era.

[Mrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever slogged through 600+ pages of a novel hoping that it might improve? Do you feel illogically driven to finish a book? We have a disease, you and I, possibly obsessive compulsive disorder, and as a fellow sufferer I mercifully suggest that you avoid this novel. The trouble is, the writing is not so bad as to drive a casual summer reader away. Maybe you find the protagonist, Ben Knowles, insufferably vanilla, or you can't see the appeal of his love interest Polly, but characters like Skaggs and Duff kept me just interested enough to stay invested in their adventures.

But while the historical tidbits were fun, I guess... manwas the ending anti-climatic and depressing! I would tell this book to go DIAF, but the irony of that would be a little too much for me right now.

Final Prognosis: Midly entertaining; NOT worth the time.

[Nori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is compelling to me, especially the more detail-oriented ones. This one is nowhere near the scope or success of a Neal Stephenson, but some would say that's a good thing. Still, though, it's a compelling read, thick with plot, taking place during 1848-49 between France, London, New York, across the nascent U.S., and to California. It's fascinating to see a meticulous author's take on what is, as the title of the book suggests, the heyday of many things: America, revolutions across Europe, New York, California, &c.

The book is a bit bloody-minded for my taste, which is not saying much, since I'm the one who can't really go to PG-13 movies. Were this one to be made into a movie, it would (a) make a good one, and (b) be too violent, probably, for me to see. It's not that people are getting killed left, right, and center; just that there's a bit more of that kind of thing than I like in my books. But then again, explicitly not sugar-coating things is probably intentional. Sigh. Poor sheltered me.

So, 4 stars: Recommended, but longish at 620 pages; not at the top of my historical fiction list, but if you don't want to tackle the ~2700-page Baroque Cycle, then start with this one. Very much enjoyed.

[Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurt Andersen’s Heyday is part of a subgenre that I love – a giant “Victorian” novel (with slightly more independent women and much more sex and swearing than an actual Victoria novel – “Deadwood” Lite if you will.) A good third or so of the novel is set in New York in 1848-1849, and that was my favorite part, because it was fascinating to read about what New York was like at that period. (I do think, though, if you’re not as fascinated by Olde New Yorke as I am, this section might strike you as far too detailed and far too much of the author’s showing off the considerable research he must have done.)

The main characters are: Polly Lucking, sometime actress and prostitute; her brother Duff Lucking, a veteran of the Mexican War who carries a dark secret around with him; Timothy Skaggs, muckraking journalist; and Ben Knowles, a wealthy young Englishman who falls in love with the idea of America as embodied in the writings of his cousin by marriage (Alexis de Tocqueville) and abandons his future in England in order to live his dream. There are a whole host of minor characters, including a vengeful French policeman and guest appearances by Walt Whitman, Charles Darwin, Friedrich Engels and, of course, Tocqueville.

The plot was fairly simple and straightforward, and involved multiple pursuits (of true love and of vengeance!) and the characters were qutie engaging, though never entirely removed from the realm of cliché. I think the real strenght of the novel lies in its vivid portrayal of the young American republic in all its contradictory impulses.

[Steve T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was too long. I love 19th-century historical fiction and there's some great stuff here as the group of friends travel from Paris to New York and eventually California during the Gold Rush. Unbeknownst to them, a vengeful killer is tracking them on their cross-country journey.

The year 1848 is the star here. There was so much happening during that time. In addition to the Gold Rush, there were technological and industrial advances, like photography, the telegraph, and railroads. The whole world was in tumult: The United States won the Mexican-American War while the Revolutions of 1848 were happening in Europe.

Author Kurt Andersen does an excellent job working these real-life events into his fiction. But I didn't feel the story and characters were deserving of a 622-page novel. Heyday is a book that is just too long to fully enjoy. At 400 pages, it might have been a five-star read. Very good, but far from great.

[AuthorsOnTourLive! · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh, impeccable portrait of an era startlingly reminiscent of our own times, Heyday is by turns tragic and funny and sublime, filled with bona fide heroes and lost souls, visionaries (Walt Whitman, Charles Darwin, Alexis de Tocqueville) and monsters, expanding horizons and narrow escapes. It is also an affecting story of four people passionately chasing their American dreams at a time when America herself was still being dreamed up-an enthralling, old-fashioned yarn interwoven with a bracingly modern novel of ideas.

We met Kurt Anderson when he visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to him talk about Heyday here:
http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=124

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very self-conscious book. Telling a tale that touches of the 1848 French Revolution, a young wealthy Englishman who walks away from his father's wealth to move to NYC, an eccentric writer/photographer, and an odd brother and sister who become part of their lives, this is a sprawling book.

It emulates the style of nineteenth century novels with a plot that twists and turns on unexpected coincidences, separation and reunification. Sometimes it seems so mannered that I almost put it down. But there were enough characters that were interesting, and enough mysteries to be solved that I finished it up.

Quirky. You'll either like it or strongly dislike it.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Goodness. I LOVED this book. I would even go so far as to say it was one of the best I've read this year. I am not usually a historical fiction fan. I would have never picked this book up based on a jacket or a blurb. I did pick it up because I am systematically reading through my public library alphabetically. This book had the good fortune of being written by an author whose last name began with A.

Now, on to the book. This is the saga of four young Americans, three men and one woman, Ben, Duff, Skags and Polly, in 1848 who symbolize the verve, drive and ingenuity of a fledgling country. As individuals, they are victims of their own economic circumstances yet, none of them choose to remain in what they see as economic bondage. They come together to talk a great deal about philosophies and new ideas that are literally and figuratively exploding all around the globe and they decide what to do about it. They each say that they are noble, but they're all selfish like the rest of us, hungry for adventure, invention, revenge, security and Utopia.

The author did a fabulous job, in my opinion of drawing such clear characters. I wanted them all to succeed, especially Ben. I loved the way that he, as an English immigrant was enraptured by America and was driven to become one. I LOVED the language and how the author was so meticulous in making sure that the reader knew that phrases were being invented just as America was, words like "megalopolis" and "ok" were fascinating. I loved the detail of the dizzying settings -- Paris, England, New York, Chicago, Indiana and San Francisco. I loved the way that the author had each of the characters rub shoulders (sometimes literally) with true innovators of that time who didn't know yet that they would all change history. The author was also very honest in his depiction of the darker sides of urban life. My eyes were opened and I felt like I had experienced history in a far more authentic way than I ever had before. I did think that the connection of Ben with Frederick Engels and Skaggs' attempt at an apology to Abraham Lincoln were not needed. But I didn't roll my eyes because there was a tone of the fantastic to this story -- and I saw it in the beginning when Ben was in Paris fighting off Revolutionaries with a stuffed penguin -- that I was completely drawn to. (And the return of Ashby, while far-fetched, was PERFECT) What this historical fiction has, that I have rarely seen in other books of this genre, was a spirit of FUN and adventure and lightheartedness and comical coincidences, which some might say were cheap shots by the author. I don't. I say that as a whole, it worked.

If there was a weakness in the book, I would say that the mundane life that Ben and Polly had in San Francisco would be it. Perhaps that also is the point. We can't have adventures all of the time, even that young adult nation in the a story -- the United States -- has to grow up and settle down and be mature at some point.

There are some books that I like and I say, "I could have written that." Some I read and I say, "I wished I had written that." And then there are the few, like this one that I read and sigh. In awe. There's no way I could ever write something so detailed, so full of fun, so complex and leave me with such an intense book hangover afterward.

[Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Heyday remandered at Barnes & Noble a couple weeks ago. I read the 600+ pages in 2 1/2 days and loved it. It could have gone on.

The book takes place in that most revolutionary year, 1848, when the great houses of Europe shook and trembled, and in some cases fell--at least for awhile. And in the US gold was discovered. The revolutionary year frames the narrative that takes our heroes from Paris to New York to the Utopian communes of the midwest to San Fransisco and the gold fields--and eventually, their authentic selves.

The strongest characters to me were Timothy Skaggs, daguerreotypist, reporter, womanizer, sometime drunk who turns dreamer stargazer, and philosopher, and Duff Lucking. gas fitter, volunteer fireman, arsonist-with-a-cause, and Los Patricios veteran. Polly Lucking, Duff's actressm artustm, avocational prostitute, free thinking sister, and Benjamin Knowles her suitor and second son of a neo-rich British manufacturer and money-grubber round-out the quartet.. And then there is Drumont, who unbeknowst to Knowles, blames him for the death of his brothe in the streets of revolutionary Paris and goes 3000 miles to avenge that death.

Some reviewers have complained that the main characters did not seem "real" or at least out of place suggesting the book is a revisionist "history. " A time warp. They also complain oddly that there are too many historical details that distract. As an historian with an interest in Republican America, I think the characters were as real as any novelist's creation can be. The historical details were fascinating, not distracting, and made the story seem more real: Blue Mass, whorehosue protocol, fire fighting technology, or lack thereof, Five Points, the yellow press, fashion and interesting mid-19th century vocabhularly. Sure there are contrivances, but history and fiction are both contrived.

The other star of Heydey is technology and how quickly the new becomes old. One night Skaggs tells Ben, "yes even if I don't wish actually to return to the past, I am vexed as the very recent past disappears before my blinkard's eyes. The pull-down-and-build-over again spirit saddens me. One day I counted the demolitions of three-three buildings on Broadway I do not gainsay real progress, he concluded, But I mourn all the victims of progress."

Like the avant garde, today's celebrated progress is tossed into tomorrow's dustbin.

This theme continues throughout Heyday, especially once they hit California and set up their gold camp, Ashbyville, where within little time the four become an anachronism. For some the end of the journey is glad. For others tragic. Duff Lucking's theory of destruction and creation , the cycle of life" permeates the book and serves as a metaphor not only for Skaggs, Knowles, and the Luckiing, but America itself. Once the dream is caught, it's gone.

[Marjorie Hakala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read something really good, and I'd found this book on a best-of-2007 list. I kinda wish I remembered which list it was, so that I could proceed to mistrust that critic's judgment. The writing here isn't bad, and the characters are plausible. I was really into things for a one or two hundred pages. But there's not a whole lot that's remarkably good about it.

I think the writing just needed to be better to justify the scale of this book. Characters keep using words that sound perfectly ordinary to twenty-first century readers--"materialism," "star" as a person, etc.--and then other characters annoyingly point out that they have never heard the word used that way before. This was entertaining exactly once. By the time I was in the 700s of the pages and somebody pointlessly remarked, "Output is a strange word. I have never heard it," I was very, very close to putting the book down. But I'd committed to it thus far, of course, so I finished it, and it kept doing its thing up until the eight hundred whateverth page where it finally decided to stop. There's also the way some dialogue takes place in French or Spanish, and then the author translates everything that was just said. Oh, and every time something in the plot parallels something else in the plot, that's pointed out too. It's just graceless. Three stars for effort, for the interesting facts about 19th-century prostitution, and for being just good enough that I convinced myself I liked it for a while, but I don't especially recommend it.

[Carly Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord this was a long book that definitely felt like a long book. In many ways this book reminded me of a sprawling Victorian novel like Dickens wrote--lots of characters, lots of detail, humor, romance, and the villain is defeated in the end. In other ways this was clearly a 21st Century novel--more gore, sex, and free thinking attitudes. I liked the book but reading it often felt like a chore. There was a lot of historical events/information contained in the novel including the French Revolution of 1848, Gold mining in California, the Five Points gang warfare in NYC, the Mexican War, cameos by famous people such as Darwin, Whitman, and Charles Fremont, etc. I agree with other reviewers that sometimes the wealth of historical detail overwhelms the plot.

This is characterized as literary historical fiction but it felt more like a rowdy epic more concerned with plot and fun than strong characterization and thematic resonance. There was a strong sense of place (particularly New York City) but the characters were necessarily all that appealing. Andersen wrote his male characters - Ben, Skaggs, and Duff with more verve and personality than his main female character, Polly who despite falling into the cliched category of semi-reformed prostitute seemed a rather flat, bland character. Better for the sense of place and historical facts than the characters.

I feel this book would appeal to male readers more than female readers. Readalike authors: Victor Hugo, Caleb Carr, Dickens,. Gore Vidal

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took forever to read. Mired in history and description of places, things. there were some interesting themes creation, destruction, creation and how the most innocuous of things could cause something to happen in history. He has a very interesting way of describing things which was enjoyable. The main characters in the story were rather one dimensional throughout the story. Ben, the wealthy Englishman who longed to be in America where he feel in love with Polly Lucking, a whore and actress. Duff was Polly's brother -- he had deserted from the army, set things on fire, and was ultra religious. Their friend was a writer and acholic, Tim Skaggs. Polly left with Priscillia Christmas to find a utopian way of living. The guys chase them and find them. Priscilla fell in love with a Morman. Tim, Polly, Ben and Duff take off for San Francisco to search for gold. IN the meantime Ben is hunted by a French sargeant, Dumont for revenge. Dumont believes that Ben caused him (Dumont) to shoot and kill his own brother. Priscilla is killed by Dumont (not very good) and so is Skaggs (again a very bad thing) Duff went native and married an Indian, but she died and he went off and set more fires in San Fran. Ben and Polly live happily.
Wouldn't read anything he wrote. Had to read this one for the bookclub.

[Topher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how this book ended up on my 'to read' list of books. From the dust jacket, when I picked it up, I thought maybe it was going to be a western - "all four set out on a transcontinental race west" would tend to lead to that idea.

They didn't leave new york city until page 350. Not exactly racing.

So, if you're looking for a book about a dilettante British murderer who started the 1848 revolutions by accident and didn't even know what his dead friend looked like, his girlfriend the whore / pimp who has to fight the urge to spread her legs for money, her brother the PTSD arsonist murderer fireman, and the most debased of all of them - a literary critic in new york, then this book is for you. If you want a book with famous name dropping spread pointlessly throughout, then this book is for you. Sometimes, I like that - I love the Ring of Fire series for instance.

In this case, I found it hard to keep going. It took me two weeks to read. Normally, I'd expect to read this in 2-3 days, so, uh, reader be aware.

PS - 5 years later, I received a notice that someone liked my review of Heyday. Cool! Uh...which book was Heyday? After reading the review, I have zero memory of this book. Based on my review I think maybe that's a good thing.

[Korey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a mixed bag: the things that work about it are really good, but there are huge, glaring flaws. On the plus side Andersen's prose is top-notch: he really knows how to turn a phrase. His descriptions are consistently lovely and he really knows how to set a scene. Unfortunately, this great writing is at the service of under developed characters and poorly imagined interpersonal relationships. It is never clear why this particular cast of characters is drawn to each other. The protagonist is a cipher. Since this book is light on plot (and the thin strands of plot present feel silly and contrived) this failure to draw convincing characters is especially problematic. So while I enjoyed portions of this book because of Andersen's gift with language I never felt an urgency to the narrative. The book is thus a a bit of a slog, it took me a month to read.

It is also eye-rolling how many super famous historical figures the ensemble cast interacts with.

[Desiree Koh · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a history nerd, I started off truly enjoying this fictional odyssey across late 19th century America, where the protagonists bump and interact with historical figures such as Scott Joplin and Abraham Lincoln. But when the narrative is twisted to facilitate coincidences and the good old standby deux es machina is brought in as closer, you sort of wished you had a porcelain spittoon for the bile foaming at the back of your throat.

To rant my grievances would be Spoiler City, but nothing is a worst spoilsport than a writer who relies on easy crutches to conclude almost 500 pages of fiction. However, Anderson's craft is sound and his Dickensian descriptions of gangbusters New York City, the piquant Midwest and the gold rush rogue of San Francisco, proving once again that truth is often more fun than fiction.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is basically a cautionary tale for any historian who wants to write a novel. The author COULD NOT RESIST jampacking in every damn notable figure and event from 1848. Somehow the main character had run-ins with every last one of them and visited every part of the country and managed to be at the revolutions in France AND the California gold rush. It was just a bit too much. I loved all the history in-jokes, of course, but really they were no substitute for a good plot and real character development. I give this two stars for historians and probably one star for everyone else. For those of us who study history but aspire to write novels, I would say this is required reading. The lesson? Don't be afraid to make things up.

[Flora · Rating 1 out of 5]

This historical novel would have benefitted from some good, sharp editing. It is way too long and there are too many wandering tangents, as if the author is showing off his extensive knowledge of the period (1848-1850). I often thought of stopping and not finishing this novel, but stuck with it and was quite disappointed.

That said, this novel did provide an excellent portrayal of the time -- the confluence of the industrial revolution; mechanization; and the discovery of gold in the American West all led to mass migration and wild adventures which forever changed the face of this nation.

[Suzanne Auckerman · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is supposed to convey the history of the period between 1845 - 1850.I didn't like any of the characters. The setting was London, Paris, New York and San Francisco with some mid-west thrown in. It took quite a while to get into and was hard to follow at first. I can't believe it was a bestseller. I am sure people bought it becaues of the reviews, but I would like to know how many actually read the entire thing.

I would not have except that I am so stubborn about finishing a book and this was about 28 hours of listening.

[Anika · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. The story is entertaining, but the energy peters out, and the end is hugely anti-climactic (I don't think the author does plot very well). The descriptions of old New York and California are excellent. But it suffers from being one of those historical novels that is so well-researched that it's just bursting with facts and interesting historical tidbits. Worse, apparently every person you would ever meet in 1860s America was a future famous figure, which gets mighty tiresome.

[sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

i couldn't finish it.

my reason has nothing to do with the 640 pages--i relish long, epic novels. it was the style. perhaps the writer's use overly-specific details was to offer a nod to nyc residents or to historians, but the details were too noisy, too thick to muddle through, and i found myself constantly reminded of the history, rather than the story. i just couldn't do it... page 150 was my last.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Historical fiction has never really drawn me in, but I'm starting to like it more. This book focuses on the stories of five people and how their lives intersect in a year of great change in the 19th century. The story drags a tiny bit toward the end, but overall, it's fascinating. A great read- I was glued to it!

[Hollis Fishelson-holstine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is set in 1848 about 4 characters whosee lives intertwine through (frankly unbelievable) coincidences. I got bored with the history. It felt like the whole purpose of the book was to pack in as many facts as he could about the time into the story itself. I found the characters too one-dimensional. I'm actually sorry I forced myself to finish this one

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting from the historical novel perspective, but hard to get into the story and know the characters. Too much information connected in a not so believable chain of events. 600 pages of US history in 1948-9, follows a group of people who manage to live/witness all the major happenings of the time. slow moving and contrived.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

at 600+ pages one wonders (pleads for) a red-penned-editor, but ntl a rolicking historical fiction of usa in 1840's-50's where gold was there to be picked up, fantastical technology was changing everything (photos, telegraphy, trains, etc) and lots of sex drugs n rock n roll. well, not rock, but rock-like. fun, but long, horse n buggy outsider lit.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical novel set in 1848/1849 US. It is not riveting, so I can't recommend it as a "must read". But the characterizations are interesting and seems to be historically accurate.

[Benjamin baschinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the mid 19th century in Paris/London & New York tells the story of 4 people and their lives during an exciting period.
Very well written.

[Kate McKinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Madcap turn-of-the-century historical fiction novel centering around a young male traveler visiting America with wide-eyes, observing everything he sees. This book is long (over 600 pages) & 1 reason is because the author feels compelled to go into intricate detail about things which seem quite unnecessary (ie; naming countless locations, brands & people - he's a name-dropper)! The author also has a droning tendency to erect long paragraphs filled w/lists (apparently to completely elucidate items/trends of the times). It's alternatively fascinating & annoying. Gets quite boring at times & is quite a trudge. I hardly ever looked forward to picking it back up to read again, after putting it down. The tone of the book is rather dreary, with some opening scenes involving terrorism, violence & carts of dead being wheeled around the streets. Ugh. This book is supposed to be about the "heyday" of burgeoning development in early America & in Europe; instead we're going on a nightmarish ride of violence (apparently during the French Revolution). Hate it when books are branded one way, then read an entirely different way. Polly's lifestyle & adventures were rather fascinating; but also horrifying, as she (& supposedly many other women of the time) ran a moonlighting business, prostituting on the side. Meanwhile, all sorts of unsavory characters & events are thrust in the reader's face (ie; a full page is devoted to a description of a character named Fatty urinating on the streets, detailing the shape/size of his "knob" & "stream" Ugh!! - followed by another page of him going after a young girl in a predatory way & conniving her into doing a hand-job ... Gross!). The word "heyday" has good connotations, but most of the reading in this book is unpleasant. Began skimming early on & finally ended the book prematurely, before page 100, just to move on to better, more worthwhile books.

[Michael Alan Grapin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benjamin Knowles, son of Sir Archibald, is in Paris the night of a revolution in 1848. He witnesses the carnage and death of his dearest friend. He flees to England and then decides to take ship to America not knowing that he is being pursued by Drumont , a French soldier that blames Ben for the death of his younger brother. In New York, Ben falls head over heels in love with Polly Lucking, and actress and sometime prostitute. He befriends her brother Duff, an army deserter, arsonist and murderer and Skaggs, a writer, photographer and philosopher that reminds him of his lost friend. Learning of the gold in Sutter's Mill they set out on an adventure that will take them across the country. They will encounter Utopians, Mormons and a variety of historical personages that make this an entertaining and frolicsome historical fiction peopled with amazing characters.

[Melinda Rachlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to give this novel its due in terms of historic detail. If you want to know what was going on in the US plus a bit of Europe in 1848/9, this is the novel for you.

However, if you are looking for a page turner, this is not the novel for you. The characters were well developed but there was not much to the plot of the story, in my opinion. I think there was too much narrative before the main characters left to go West. This would have been a very readable non-fiction book but it wasn't compelling as a novel. It wasn't awful but I am one of those people who cannot put a novel aside once I have started it and it took forever to get through this because I never felt as if I had to find out what happened next. Also I would have preferred a more satisfying end.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bits of history and actual people dapple this compelling fictionalization of the 1848-49 era that moves from France to England to eventually the California Gold Rush, but what a fascinating journey.
Superb writing and clever connecting of folks like Mormon leader Joseph Smith, Abe Lincoln, Horace Greeley, John Jacob Astor. Author Kurt Andersen ties in issues of the day seamlessly, putting flesh on the bones of topics we read little about, including the war with Mexico, communes of that period, slavery, of course, and the ups and downs of the '49ers (not the football team).
So satisfying to read the work of someone who understands how to craft literature, not just a novel.