Al di là del fiume

by Belva Plain

A Miriam, splendida e inquieta adolescente sfuggita alla miseria di un ghetto in Germania e sbarcato nella scintillante New Orleans, il futuro sembra schiudere mille promesse di felicità. Ma quando il suo ambizioso matrimonio fallisce e la guerra civile diventa una minaccia sempre più reale e vicina, il destino dell'intera famiglia e di tutto ciò che ha di più caro è nelle sue mani.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Civil War, Historical Romance, Drama

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Belva Plain was a best-selling American author of mainstream women's fiction. Her first novel, Evergreen (1978) topped the New York Times bestseller list for 41 weeks and was made into a TV miniseries. At her death, there were over 30 million copies of her twenty-plus novels in print in 22 languages.

Reviews

[C.A. Simonsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not a bad Civil War tale involving a Jewish family led by the Southern-minded Ferdinand and his progressive, anti-slavery son, David.

The story was solid, and author Belva Plain did a commendable job of illustrating how civil wars rip apart families. However, the indications of time changes in the novel were murky, and it was difficult to become attached to the characters.

[Ilean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this story but was so disappointed that it didn’t end with love with Gabriel for Miriam.
So much history, sadness, and opulence to the extremely poor, in this story. So much love and hate, meanness and sweetness, so much greed and givenness.
This story “Crescent City” by Belva Plain has it all.

[Silvio Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical novel about the youth and middle age of the fictional Miriam, a Jew who is born in central Europe and is brought by her rich father to New Orleans as a girl in the last decades before the Civil War. I always enjoy the theme of people trying to work out how to act on their ethical convictions in an unfriendly environment, and this book definitely falls into that type. Not only are Miriam and her brother David pretty serious about their religion in a place where even their fellow Jews are mostly apathetic, but David is fervently against slavery and Miriam has increasing qualms about it, while the entire social order that they owe their social standing to depends on slaves. At the same time Miriam is struggling to understand why she's not content with her role as a woman in that social order. But ultimately what happens to the characters depends on the big forces of history - their world changes, but their personal contribution to making it change is swallowed up too much to see. As the Civil War draws closer, serious romantic complications occupy more of the book. Since Miriam is the POV character almost all the time, while the African-American characters stay peripheral to the story, the proto-feminism struck me as more inspiring than the abolitionism.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.

I picked up this book in hopes that it would fulfill the "Civil War romance" category in the Unapologetic Romance Readers 2017 challenge. When it quickly became evident that it would not, I should have just let it go. But I didn't. I was also reading another of those family-centered sagas, The Tea Rose, and quite enjoying it, so I kept hoping I'd hit a point in Crescent City where it would have the same impact. Unfortunately, it never did, and it became a slog just to get through it.

Basically, this book wants to be Gone With the Wind. Not in location or characters or even plot (well, somewhat plot) but in structure and feel. Ultimately, however, it doesn't capture the sweeping scope or any of the emotion that GWTW, problematic as it is at points, displays with such beauty.

The main character here is Miriam, whose Jewish family hails from Germany. Her father left Miriam and her older brother with their maternal grandfather after the death of their mother, and the book begins with him returning to take them to New Orleans, where he's built a new prosperous life. Some of the book attempts to deal with faith and maintaining it in times of hardship and in the face of adversity, and some of it tries to deal with matters like the immorality of slavery but also wanting to support your family who support slavery--but none of this is handled very well, and the main character who actually has these struggles, Miriam's brother, is kind of written off in the end as a "social justice warrior" of the 1800s, with an attitude of "Oh, he picks up whatever cause comes his way, none of them are really meant or important," which really irked me.

Most of the book is really about Miriam's life in an unhappy marriage, one she's basically forced into before she's ready to a man she despises. With twin children and a large extended family to care for, Miriam struggles with keeping her life together during the Civil War, including engaging in an illicit romance outside of her marriage and another interested party who she loves but in a brotherly way--awkward. While all of this seems like it would be ripe for a story full of emotion, Plain's writing manages to be flat and boring, making every chapter seem interminable and the entire book feel like a slog towards some unknown goal that never truly felt reached. The setting in both place and time held so much promise, but aside from a few atmospheric happenings, they weren't leveraged to the story's benefit. Having a Jewish main character in this time and place was interesting, but it only occasionally played into the story and didn't really lead to much conflict other than a few spats between Miriam and one of her stepsisters (I think; the relations here were a bit complicated). At a few points, Plain also falls into the bad habit of using lengthy journal or letter entries to convey the characters' emotions, because she's not really adept at working them into the narrative itself.

Also, the Kindle edition of this book is very poorly converted from the text version, so readers beware on that.

Ultimately, a cold and boring book that didn't deliver on the promise it held. If you're looking for something Gone With the Wind-like in scope and feel, read The Thorn Birds or maybe The Tea Rose; Crescent City just can't compare.

1.5 stars out of 5.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying to be Gone with the Wind and failing..... Too long, to much blah blah blah..

[Jessica Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author but this just didn't seem as good as her other books. The main character Miriam just seemed whiny and unhappy and like she wasn't even trying to make her life work. And the end seemed too much like an attempt to make another Gone With the Wind, which really can't be done. I dunno. It wasn't bad but it wasn't her best for sure.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4 1/2 star read. This is a book from my book shelves that I read back in the 80's and read again. Plain is an author who is not so well known nowadays but she writes a great and interesting book. Set in New Orleans just before the Civil War, it tells the story of a young Jewish girl and her brother who are brought from the ghettos in Europe by their father, who had left the family to come to America to make his fortune. And he did just that. Ferdinand not only is a wealthy man and well respected, but he also has a new wife, Emma. Emma takes to the two motherless children Miriam and David and treats them like her own. They have a glittering life in New Orleans but David is unhappy with the concept of slavery and goes North to become a Doctor. Miriam is bundled young into a marriage with a suitable young man who is all wrong for her. And when the Civil War comes, everything changes. This was a really interesting book about a family in war time, on both sides of the issue. A very good read.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi primer dramón de época !!! A ver ha estado entretenido, la complejidad de los personajes y que no estén idealizados ha sido lo que me ha hecho poder disfrutarlo, porque la guerra persé la verdad es que mela, pero los cotilleos que se llevan?? wow les hubiera encantado la prensa rosa. La evolución de Míriam es obviamente admirable, mixica con su conciencia de clase ole ahí, qué mujer más resiliente. Aún así, ojalá David Raphael hubiera tenido más papel protagonista porque es, sin lugar a duda, lo mejor del libro.
Me encantaría verlo adaptado en serie o película, creo que tiene mucho potencial <3

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy historical fiction and this was 1860'S America, in which a long absent father, widowed since his daughter's birth, comes to take his children back from Europe to New Orleans, where he has built up a prosperous business and beautiful home. He's also remarried. The story follows the lives of the family through good times and then the war years, The loss of family members and fortunes as well as human emotions of jealousy, love and hate, and sacrifice all play out in this roughly 400 page novel.

[Kassie Cvikel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this to read like a classical lit book but it read very elementary. I probably would've kept reading if I picked it up in 7th grade but as an adult I could not get myself to read past chapter 3. I really wanted to like this book as I feel the plot, setting, and history of it all had so much potential. I just couldn't get past the predictable language and complete lack of detail whatsoever. I am realizing AP Lit had trained my brain to have higher expectations in a book.

2 stars because the theme had something go for it but the writing was poor and anticipated.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was difficult for me to get through. I could not relate to any of the characters and the story seemed to ramble to me. The second half was better. I live close to New Orleans and so I recognized some of the areas. Miriam is the heroine of the story. The book takes us through her rather troubled life during the Civil War. I’m having a hard time reviewing the book and to me that says a lot. It is an okay book and that is my honest opinion.

[Holly Folkening · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a few years since I have read a Belva Plain book. To me, she can spin a family drama like no other. I loved the time and setting of Crescent City. I also learned a few tidbits about the treatment of Jews during the Civil War, ie General Order no. 11. I wish many things for the women in this piece. I can only assume Miriam’s newly found independence leads her to true love.

[Keisha | Bookish Realtor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy
⭐️ 4.75
🌶 .5

🗡 found family
🗡 grumpy love interest
🗡 slow burn
🗡 enemies to lovers
🗡 magical creatures in modern setting
🗡 mystery

I will say, after reading ACOTAR and ToG, I was not expecting this world to be so different. Modern-day life, magical creatures is definitely a first for me in a fantasy read. But as always, Sarah always writes a badass take no shit female main characters, and a broody male main character for me to fall in love with 😂 This was almost a fantasy/mystery book, and I loved it.

[Delores Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as expected

I found this book a little hard to read. It was a bit too wordy, if that makes sense. Also I couldn't really figure out just what the background story was about, but it was the period of the American civil war. I read to the end as I liked the characters, as I do with all her books. However, hard to follow at times.

[Alisan C. Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

I really like this sjthor





I really enjoy this author however, I think the kindle edition was a poor scam . There are so many typos or poor edits, very distracting and unnecesssry! Not fair to author!

[Anne Vandenbrink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Southern family saga. Follows Miriam Raphael, daughter of a wealthy Jewish merchant in New Orleans, before, during, and after the civil war.

[Linette-Jean Gauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good history

There was a lot of good information in this book put in a nice readable form. It was an understandable story told in an understandable way.

[Anna Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

This book is a family saga set in the nineteenth century and before and after the Civil War. So much bloodshed and divisions of families.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view of New Orleans right before the Civil War. Entertaining story of characters but not so deep that I will think of them weeks after finishing the book.

[Glinda Mantle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story, the old New Orleans way of life for wealthy Creole families.

[Lisa Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average. An immigrant succeeds in the South, but his children follow diverging paths as the Civil War erupts. The cold marriage and a passionate affair don’t ring true. Good ending, however.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Main character well developed.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting book! I thought I'd read enough about the Civil War, but I was wrong.

[Teresa J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a struggle to get through

[Benedetta Cirillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stelle su 5.
Una narrativa interessante, che purtroppo a mio parere si è persa nei meandri della storia in cui è ambientata. La vicenda infatti prende luogo nell'America del 1820, fino a giungere all'inevitabile scontro che vide protagonisti gli Stati Uniti e gli Stati Confederati d'America a causa del sistema schiavistico, lo stesso attraverso cui vive anche la famiglia medio borghese della giovane Miriam.
Mentre inizialmente il centro dell'attenzione è rivolto al carattere ribelle del giovane David, fratello maggiore di Miriam, successivamente si prosegue con le vicissitudini della ragazza, ed in seguito donna, costretta ad un matrimonio senza amore e a fare i conti con le aspettative della società nei suoi confronti, in quanto donna.

Mi è venuta a mancare una connessione empatica con i personaggi, sia con quelli principali (di Miriam conosciamo le idee ed i pensieri, ma è poco chiaro come possa aver sviluppato un pensiero critico sulla contemporaneità in cui vive, non avendo nessuno con cui confrontarsi a livello politico e non leggendo niente a riguardo; di David è chiara l'ideologia, ma scompare per buona parte del libro, non rendendoci partecipe dello sviluppo lavorativo ed ideologico), che con quelli di passaggio (la maggior parte dei quali è descritta a grandi linee, senza sfumature, rappresentati o come buoni o come cattivi. Pochi approfondimenti sul padre Ferdinard, un uomo ebreo scappato dalla Germania per far fortuna in America; la madre di Miriam, morta dopo aver partorito quest'ultima, non viene mai ricordata in maniera incisiva, se non alludendo alla sua bellezza e al fatto che fosse ebrea; della famiglia della seconda moglie di Ferdinard, Emma, ci è lasciata un'idea di spocchia e arroganza, mai giustificata con approfondimenti o spiegazioni. Il marito di Miriam, Eugene, assieme ai gemelli che mette al mondo, non incidono in alcun modo nella narrazione della protagonista, al punto che se questa non si fosse sposata e non avesse fatto dei figli, poco avrebbe inciso sugli eventi).

Per quanto riguarda la connotazione amorosa, sebbene non sia scritto da nessuna parte che questa debba essere per forza parte fondante del libro, è apparsa superficiale e poco approfondita: sin da subito viene messo in risalto il sentimento provato dall'amico d'infanzia Gabriel per Miriam, non ricambiato. Quest'ultima invece, non provando nulla per il marito, si lascia travolgere dalla passione provata per un uomo sposato, André, e ne nasce una storia d'amore "campata in aria", scaturito da un solo unico incontro fra i due. Da questo punto in poi, molti dei pensieri di Miriam verranno indirizzati a questo uomo francese, sognando un amore che di concreto ha ben poco, visto che i due non hanno mai avuto una conversazione che andasse oltre le dichiarazioni amorose (peraltro banali). L'amore di Gabriel viene costantemente ignorato per buona parte del racconto, fino a quando, nelle ultime pagine, a seguito della guerra da poco conclusa, André e Miriam si ricongiungono, e il sogno di poter vivere una vita insieme va in frantumi non appena avviene una conversazione un po' più approfondita fra i due (basata sul denaro e sull'assenza di ideali di lui); di conseguenza, i sentimenti della protagonista mutano radicalmente, ricambiando di punto in bianco l'amore di Gabriel, senza mezzi termini. Paradossale il "mancato lieto fine" di questa assurda storia d'amore, con un finale accelerato e inconcludente.

Infine, la vicenda della guerra, di fatto fil rouge della storia, viene raccontata in maniera discontinua, alternando descrizioni dettagliate delle disgrazie dei soldati a vicende frettolosamente narrate della vita precaria di chi rimane in città.
Rimane da sottolineare la morale perseguita, tutto sommato toccante, sebbene poco incisiva a mio parere sulla trama.

Tutto sommato è un libro scritto bene, ma presenta alcune lacune e soprattutto non ho trovato nessuna caratteristica che lo avesse reso originale o in qualche modo memorabile. Fin troppo lungo per la storia che si propone.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very rich storytelling.

[Gregg Brickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crescent City by Belva Plain is a historical family saga set in nineteenth century New Orleans.

The story begins in 1835 when Ferdinand Raphael returns to Europe to get his children from the grandfather's home in a depressed Jewish ghetto. He takes the children David and Miriam—who is the primary point-of-view character—to New Orleans, where he has become a rich and successful businessman.

As the story follows the family through the Civil War, with it's destruction of the South and the lives of the family, Miriam grows from a shy child into an effective, determined, and powerful woman. Not an easy task during those years when women were married off by their fathers and then possessed by husbands that they had not part in choosing.

I read the book in Kindle format. It was obviously scanned with an OCR reader from the original text. I found the errors created by the scan to be intrusive and had to learn the code to translate several words. It is an example that one should not scan in text and not edit the results.

Having said that, I found the story captivating and recommend it to anyone fascinated with the subject matter or with historical family stories.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the early 1800's, after a Jewish widower made his fortune in the United States, he returns to his homeland in Europe to get his children, who had been living with relatives. He takes them away from the hardship and prejudice of their homeland to live in the vibrant city of New Orleans. This cosmopolitan town is totally different from the existence the children had in Europe. Their father had remarried and the home where the couple lived was opulent. The stepmother and one of her daughters welcomed the children with open arms, but the other daughter made it plain what she thought of their religion. Most of the population of the city seemed to believe in a live-and-let-live attitude and life went on quite well until the rumblings of abolitionists and those seeking secession start making their way into the city. Sides are taken and families are torn apart as the horror of unrest they thought they had permanently escaped now reared its head in destructiveness of the Civil War.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I've enjoyed a bunch of Gwen Bristow and this falls in the same genre. Initially, the main character drove me a bit nuts but I had to remember she was a product of her time. I was really fascinated by the history of the time, the ostentatious wealth of the Southern plantation owners, the slave system that was so crucial to supporting that economy, the danger of being an abolitionist in the South. The love triangle was well done--at first I was irritated by it, not wanting to waste time with it but it ended with an insightful look into two very different types of men. I've been inspired to read Gods and Generals from this book and increase my limited knowledge of the Civil War.

[Miriam and Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story takes place mostly in New Orleans before, during and after the Civil War. Families were divided because of their attitudes and often went for long periods of time not knowing where their loved ones were or even whether they were still alive. This was a terrible period in our country's history and so many lives were lost or changed forever because of injuries suffered in the war. There were many reversals of fortune as well. I found it interesting that there were some hints of what was to come in the series of Belva Plain novels about the Werner and Friedman families. In this book, Angelique Mendes was born. She must have grown up to marry Henry de Rivera. She would be Paul Werner's grandmother.