The Americans

Kent Family Chronicles #8

by John Jakes

A NATION ADRIFT -- AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE IT HOPE

It was the whip-end of an era -- when innocence died and money lust was enthroned. The new generation of Kents was locked in a feverish race for wealth -- even as Europe's millions poured across the seas, to change the face of our nation and reap its forgotten promise among the pushcarts of Mulberry Street, the hardnosed docks of Boston, the steaming Barbary Coast.

Gideon Kent, his health failing, fears for the future of his lost dynasty. His actress-daughter, Eleanor, learns what it is to love an alien in the land of the free. Con-man Carter drifts cross-country in search of a lazy fortune. It falls to young Will. broken by his mother's madness, to redeem Philip Kent's American dream.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, American History, Adult Fiction, Adult, Drama

794 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

John William Jakes, the author of more than a dozen novels, is regarded as one of today’s most distinguished writers of historical fiction. His work includes the highly acclaimed Kent Family Chronicles series and the North and South Trilogy. Jakes’s commitment to historical accuracy and evocative storytelling earned him the title of “the godfather of historical novelists” from the Los Angeles Times and led to a streak of sixteen consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Jakes has received several awards for his work and is a member of the Authors Guild and the PEN American Center. He and his wife, Rachel, live on the west coast of Florida.

Also writes under pseudonyms Jay Scotland, Alan Payne, Rachel Ann Payne, Robert Hart Davis, Darius John Granger, John Lee Gray. Has ghost written as William Ard.

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so the Kent Family Saga comes to an end in The Americans. I was very sad to see it come to an end, but I suppose all series have to come to an end eventually. I did read at the end of the book that John Jakes originally planned to continue the series, with a new generation of the family, carrying the Kent's all the way up to the 1970's.

The nineteenth century is nearing an end, Gideon Kent's health is failing, and the future of the Kent family is in jeopardy. Gideon doesn't have many options to choose from to keep Phillip Kent's American Dream alive, with Eleanor and her newlywed Husband busy with their acting careers, and Carter drifting across the country in search of a lazy fortune, it all falls to Will, who is broken by his mother's madness.

Will's journey starts when Gideon sends him off to help a young Theodore Roosevelt (before he was President of the United States), befriending and assisting him on his Dakota Ranch for the Summer. Also during his journey, Will finally has a dream to work in the medical field, and falls in love with a young woman named Laura Pennell , the daughter of a ruthless tycoon and longtime rival of the Kent Family. Will starts to become close with Laura and the rest of her family, much to the anger and resentment of Gideon.

Eleanor, still struggling with the horrific events in The Lawless, now married to Leo Goldman, is struggling with her career as a stage actress. Eleanor and Leo are also involved in the Johnstown Flood of 1889, after the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam.

A beautiful, epic, and bittersweet ending to a great Historical Fiction series! Loved every single one of the books! My only prevention of giving The Americans 5 stars, is I just felt that some parts were rushed and some of the Historical Events were kind of pushed through, I wish Teddy Roosevelt was more involved in the story where he's always been one of my favorite US Presidents! But other than that, a terrific ending to a terrific series!! Strongly recommended to all History lovers!!

[Craig&kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually of all the Kent Family Chronicle books, this was took me the longest to read, however; it was one the of the best. I absolutely love the story and is so very well written. Kudos to the author for a job well done.

[Jcurmudge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conclusion of a long series. Now I'll never no the outcome of the lives of Will, Eleanor, and Carter. And of any Kent children to follow. A truly fascinating series from pre-revolutionary USA to near the end of the 19th Century.

[Phillipylorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of the Kent chronicles series. LOVED THEM ALL!

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading historical fiction should be fun. The Americans by John JakesJohn Jakes certainly was. This is the eighth and (possibly) last volume of the Kent Family Chronicles. Like a patchwork blanket, Jakes sews facts and people in very neatly to his Kent family epic. The children of Gideon and Matthew Kent migrate homeward and make their marks in an increasingly great and influential country. From the sleazy and squalid world of politics and the increasingly acceptable of the stage to the battlefields of Mexico, The Americans brings the Kent heirs to the brink of the Twentieth Century. Will Kent comes of age and loses the timorous, shy and frightened legacy left by his mother. He grew as surly and stout as the nation that recovered from a devastating war and expanded its borders and influence worldwide. This book is just as filled with love, war and many trivial tidbits of history as we have become accustomed to in this series of a nation’s birth and growth to greatness. A virtual cornucopia of little known or remembered people (such as Ina Coolbirth) and events (the Johnstown flood) are used to increase the scope of the work. Ina Coolbirth was California’s first poet laureate and the Johnstown flood (1889) rates fourth in deaths by natural disaster behind Galveston, Texas hurricane on September 18,1900 (8000+), San Francisco, California earthquake 1906 (3400+), The Great Okeechobee, Florida hurricane September 16-17 (2500+). The Johnstown flood claimed 2209 lives. In these pages history really comes alive and speaks to all that read it. John Jakes stated in his afterword that he needed a break from the Kent dynasty (and after eight volumes I can well imagine) but has never stated that he wouldn’t take it up again in the future. I, for one, would applaud this undertaking as history has proved that the Twentieth Century witnessed the transition of the United States from an isolationist position to a world power.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I finished the 8 volume set of the Kent Family Chronicles. This takes the Kent family up to 1897. The book deals with Carter, Eleanor and Will. A little disappointed because it was pretty predictable.

I enjoyed Will's summer with a young Theodore Roosevelt and the Johnstown flood Eleanor went through.

I would love to see Jakes update the Kent family but I doubt he will do that though.

[Cookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me forever to read the last installment in this series - not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I didn't want it to end.

[Jon R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was difficult to put down. Pre revolutionary war until 20th century. The color of the family characters intertwined with real historical figures was brilliant.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hypocrisy of Gideon and Julia Kent was bad enough in The Lawless where they had an affair and went on a crusade for social justice, while ignoring Gideon's wife's mental illness and neglecting his children, not to mention the fact that their actions inadvertently caused his daughter to be gang-raped. In "The Americans," it gets even worse, as the country enters the worst excesses of the Gilded Age. Granted, portraying rich people sympathetically in a book about the Gilded Age is probably difficult. But Jakes barely even tries. He tells us Gideon and Julia are totally different from all those other greedy, horrible, conservative rich people, but he shows us that they're really not that different at all.

The Kents share a lot of similarities with other rich families Jakes wants us to hate. Gideon is always worrying about whether his children will be successful. There's a rebellious, unconventional daughter, and a loser of a son who gets expelled from Harvard. The Kents are constantly name-dropping--or rather, Jakes is name-dropping for them--all the celebrities they entertain. Gideon even has a private yacht built! And yet we're supposed to believe they're different because...they don't dress ostentatiously? Their yacht isn't accepted by the New York Yacht Club? They're not accepted into New York high society? They constantly complain about the shallowness and materialism of other rich families?

Out of all the Kents, there are only two who I can believe are actually better than the other high-society crooks: Eleanor and Will. Carter is the loser son who gets expelled from Harvard, and he spends most of the book doing stupid things and bewailing his fate, plus visiting prostitutes and complaining in true Nice Guy fashion that all women are evil whores who can't be trusted. Julia Kent, who was supposedly a rebel and a suffragist in the last book, is married to Gideon now, so her roles include being a cheerleader for Gideon, trying to smooth over the conflicts between Gideon and his sons (since all women are peacemakers, right?), sitting in the background while Gideon disciplines the children (even Carter, who's HER SON from a previous marriage!), and breaking down into tears when she hears something horrifying about the children, then having to be comforted by her husband. Jakes tells us she still does suffragist work, but we never see it.

And Gideon Kent. Oh, dear God, Gideon. I have not hated anyone in this series as much as I've hated him. I don't know why Jakes decided that he should be the moral center of the last two books, but he is not allowed to be wrong. Ever. His adultery in the last book? Totally justified, since his wife was so obviously evil, and Julia turned out to be his One Twu Wuv. His newspaper and publishing business? Successful, of course. His unconventional political views are obviously the right ones. His insights about his children's problems? He's right about them, of course, even when he's clearly not. His neglect of his children? He's blameless; it was that evil Margaret's fault! He bullies his children? It's for their own good!

The low point in Gideon's arc is how he treats Eleanor. After her Jewish husband dies in the Johnstown Flood, he tries to snap her out of her depression by telling her that it was partially her fault, since she didn't stand up to anti-Semitism enough. Nice. And then he tries to shock her out of her depression by saying how much she's acting like her mother. The mother Gideon abandoned once her mental illness got serious. The mother Gideon deserted to go have a torrid affair with Eleanor's current stepmother. What a class act. Worst of all? He never learns that Eleanor was raped. Eleanor never tells him. He never finds out. But we, the readers, get to experience the wonderful scene of this disgusting hypocrite telling a RAPE VICTIM WHOSE HUSBAND JUST DIED that her husband's death was partially her fault, she's acting like a madwoman, and she's being unfair to hate America just because there are bad people in it.

People, if you're not going to treat rape seriously, DON'T WRITE ABOUT IT. Other bad things can happen to women and girls besides sexual assault. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! All the bad things that happen to male characters, like getting beaten, getting shot, having broken bones, feeling worthless, being abused by parental figures? They happen to females too, contrary to what dark 'n' edgy entertainment might say.

As badly as Eleanor is treated in this book, the treatment of poor Leo Goldman, her husband, is even worse. I would consider him the Token Minority member of the Kent family, but he isn't even in the Kent family long enough for that. He and Eleanor can't have sex, but Eleanor never tells him the reason why, which obviously causes a strain in their marriage. During the Johnstown Flood, Leo is murdered by a bigoted German (yes, I know) who actually PUSHES him under the water. Eleanor, from exhaustion and grief, blurts out the secret of her rape to a WASP telegraph operator she just met. Who later becomes her second husband, is able to cure her of her fear of sex, and gets her pregnant. So that's the lesson, kids: Eleanor couldn't have a good relationship with a Jewish man, but a proper white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant man is able to make everything better!

Will is the only Kent in this book who gets anything close to a satisfying, non-offensive arc and proper character development. It's not perfect. We have to waste six chapters reading about Will on a ranch with Theodore Roosevelt, for one thing. In addition, Will's desire to get into New York high society is hard to believe, mainly because even when he's most excited about it, he clearly doesn't like it much. A half-remembered promise he made to Carter to be successful and his lust for an heiress are flimsy excuses for it. Finally, Will changes his mind when he does medical work in a slum of immigrants, who only exist to make him and his fellow WASP doctors look good. Only a few of the immigrants have names. Almost none of them can speak English, so they don't even have real conversations with Will and his fellow doctors. Still, it's an actual character arc that involves a character growing and changing, and Will is the only Kent who wants to actually WORK to improve conditions in the country. It's the reason I gave this book a second star.

Clearly, Will was Jakes' favorite of the three young Kents, and it's annoying that he wrote such short, lame arcs for Eleanor and Carter as a result. Eleanor's arc I already talked about. Carter's arc is not only annoying to read, but badly paced. We read some long, pointless chapters where Carter works at a fish processing plant and gets into a vendetta with a Portuguese sailor, before he's finally shipped off to San Francisco for safety. In what must be the dumbest of a series of dumb decisions, he decides to rebel against his parents by getting off the train early in Nebraska. From then on, he pretty much becomes a hobo, wandering all over the southwestern United States, which could have been an interesting read and a good opportunity for character development, but Jakes hardly ever writes about it. He finally reaches San Francisco, meets a political hack who hires him--and then we never hear from him again until the end of the book, when he's a successful political hack in his own right.

I guess you could say this book has a happy ending, at least by this series' standards. Gideon's bullying of his children has paid off, since they're finally upholding the legacy of the Kent family, whatever that means. Julia is still cheering on her husband and (supposedly) doing suffragist work. Eleanor is now married to a proper 'Murican instead of one of them weirdo furrin types, and she's pregnant with the next generation of Kents, so she's fulfilling her proper function as a woman. Will is doctoring faceless, nameless minorities and immigrants to prove how nice he and his white, 'Murican colleagues are, and he's married to a strong-minded, unconventional woman who, knowing Jakes, would have either been reduced to an Angel in the House (like Julia) or been raped and snuffed (like Anne Kent in Book 2) if this series had continued. Finally, Carter's been set up nicely as the family antagonist for the next generation.

Thankfully, there are no more generations. This is the last book in the series. What else can I say? My project to read the Kent Family Chronicles is done at last, and I couldn't be happier about it.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an epic conclusion to the series. From the blurb, we are told that Gideon is in failing health--and he was--but he was so worried about the path the family was on and he wanted the Kent name to go on in a good way. But with Carter being so cavalier, Eleanor showing no promise, even though she was a gifted actress, and Will being motivated by money and prestige, he had serious concerns and he held onto life until one of these kids showed some promise.

The majority of the story takes place when the children of Gideon and Julia Kent are adults. Carter is the son of her first husband who was Louis Kent. They'd divorced years ago then Louis died. Eleanor and Will were Gideon's children from his first wife, who'd slipped into madness and had eventually fallen out of a window and broken her neck when some men broke into their house after Gideon had a confrontation with a railroad owner way back when. Eleanor was changed forever that night after being raped by three men. She told one person years after the fact and it was during a traumatic time.

Carter is a rebellious cuss. He was a student at Harvard and was doing poorly. He had no direction in life, but he was a smooth talker with a charming smile and could talk himself out of just about any situation. He liked to hang out at the taverns on the docks and consort with prostitutes and that eventually caught up with him and he ended up going west. There's a lot more to the story, but that's how he ended up in San Francisco. It was there that he got into politics, but not a lot was said about that until we got closer to the end. Carter had no allegiance to anyone but himself. He was a power monger with his sights set on Washington.

Will worshiped the ground Carter walked on when they were younger. Carter was older, suave, arrogant, and confident. Will was a polar opposite of him. He was quiet, demure, an obedient son, had respect for women, something Carter never did. But Carter was pumping him up, giving him the confidence he needed to do something with himself, and made him promise that Will would make his mark and everybody would know it. That promise led Will to become a doctor, but he wanted to be a doctor to the wealthy on Fifth Avenue in New York, which led him to the elite Laura Pennel and her family.

I wanted to smack him up along side the head, especially after that part of the story got going. I couldn't believe he was so oblivious to the wiles of that horrible girl. Gideon was beside himself after hearing the rumors about her and knowing what the Pennel's were all about and how they got their money. Will just kept that promise in mind and the Pennel's were just what he needed to climb that social ladder. To hell with his friend Drew, who was pretty much his conscience and a doctor practicing in the slums of New York City. To hell with what his father thought. He had to impress Carter and keep that promise. I got so frustrated with him and was yelling at him and calling him names. It nearly cost him everything. I thought he would never wake up and smell the coffee.

There are a lot of good things that happen in this book, like Will spending time with Theodore Roosevelt on his ranch, which is what gave Will direction in his life. But there were some tragedies too that broke my heart. It was all so real and I got so involved. Mr Jakes drew me into the story, kept me there with all of the action and drama, then had me crying like a baby at the end.

I have zero complaints about this book, but I do wish a little time had been spent on Tom Kent, Matthew Kent's son. I know Matthew was married and truly loved his wife and they'd had a son, whom he had never seen. She'd gone to India to teach school while she was pregnant and why he let her go is beyond me. He dallied with other women for years while they were apart, but his heart was Dolly's. If my memory serves me right, he was going to go to India to meet his son who was already seven years old. That was probably in The Lawless, but it would have been a gateway to introduce Tom Kent to the rest of the family and give him a part in this story, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Ah well. It was still a fantastic read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

*This book is the finale of the Kent Family Chronicles (The Bicentennial Series) and the books should be read in order.

1. The Bastard
2. The Rebels
3. The Seekers
4. The Furies
5. The Titans
6. The Warriors
7. The Lawless
8. The Americans

I first read this series as it was being published back in the 1970s. I was in high school and was so caught up in the story that I couldn't wait for the next book to come out. I was babysitting for a family around the corner for a whopping three bucks a night, one night a week. It took me forever to save enough to buy the next book, but when I finally got it, it was sheer euphoria. I dug into those books like a dog burying a bone in the backyard. I couldn't get enough.

Fast forward a few thousand years (figuratively speaking). I'm much older now, my perspective has changed, and I enjoyed the books far more than I did back then. I hope I'm wiser, as well and I was able to connect with characters like Jephtha Kent (my favorite), Gideon Kent, even Philip Kent, who started the series. I was taken through the Boston Tea Party, the Revolutionary War, Westward Expansion, the Civil War, the creation and need for the Labor Movement...it was a crazy ride, but so worth the time took to read all eight installations (it took weeks) and the expense of purchasing the books with the original copyrights. *No politically correct police here* It was history-come-to-life through complex, well-developed characters, and a solid story line.

There wasn't a bad book in the bunch.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this is the conclusion of the Kent Family Chronicles. The tale of America from its pre revolutionary roots to the turn of the 20th century. The entire series is well worth the time invested. Jakes tells the story of our country through the eyes of an fictional family, history comes alive.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

To all good stories there must be an "end" and this book is it. These were excellent tales (fiction) but could have been real stories of real Americans. Tragedy, comedy, love, hate, courage and cowardice all displayed by the frailties of human lives. Thank you, John Jakes, for a satisfying and enjoyable set of books!

[Stuart Jaffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic end to a fantastic series. I rarely feel this way, but I didn't want it to be over. I'd love for there to be more books taking the Kents all the way through the 20th century, but that won't be happening.

[Robert Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good finish to a very long tale. Doesn't fulfill the promise of taking the Kent family right on up to 1976 but that's okay. Enough of the Kents and time for something else. Enjoyed this series but man it is a commitment.

Thanks to the author for keeping it going as long as he did.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of the John Jakes Kent Chronicles. I've read them twice and wish he had continued the series. My only criticism was that he often skipped through years of events and I would prefer more info.

[Trisha Borders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book of the Kent Chronicles-Have enjoyed the journey very much.

[Isabelle Decher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kent Family Chronicles Volume 8 Great Series - Sorry to see it end.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this is how I truly learned American history. These books follow generations of the "Kents" and their lives in America.

[Sarah (Ceekayy) Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6

[Patsy Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love every John Jakes book I ever read. They are all page-turners.

[Joan Paciero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished all eight books in the Kent family series. Sure is a fun way to get a history lesson.

[Bookish Enchantment (Katherine Quirke) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get absorbed in the drama.

[Dawn Tessman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. The 8th and final book in the Kent Family Chronicles series which covers the late 1800s and such topics as New York’s tenement slums, the Johnstown flood, cattle ranching, and political corruption of the era. While at times the novel was a bit melodramatic and predictable with too much buildup to certain events (i.e., soap opera), Jakes has once again turned out a captivating and well-crafted tale in which he has masterfully entwined fictional storylines with well-researched historical content.

A few comments on the series as a whole...
What I appreciated most about the Kent Family Chronicles were the historical aspects of the story. I particularly enjoyed how Jakes’ fictional characters serendipitously encountered real American heroes throughout the series all while Jakes maintained a high degree of accuracy in the telling of historical events. It is clear his research efforts were exhaustive. In addition, Jakes’ descriptive writing style engages all senses, helping to bring that history to life on the page, making it fascinating, and, most importantly, fun and accessible to readers. However, I never cared for the Kents, preferring peripheral characters to them. Often, main characters were written to extremes - the bad guys were pure evil and the good guys were saints. Most struggled with just being decent human beings and I would, therefore, find myself saying how much I hated all of them. Couple this complaint with the fact there was some form of sexual assault in every novel and I wouldn’t have continued the series if it weren’t for the fact the history was covered so well. That aside, I do feel completing the series was worthwhile, especially as all storylines were wrapped up rather nicely and there was an overall general message of hope for future generations in America that carried forward from the first book to the last.

On a side note, Jakes’ original intention was to follow the Kents through the years to America’s bicentennial in 1976. Despite what I shared above about my distaste for the Kents, I really wish Jakes would have fulfilled that dream. I admit I was somewhat let down when I reached the end of the series and realized he didn’t even venture into the 1900s.

As in the past, I would recommend this series to those who enjoy epic novels or history, while warning of the violent aspects of the story.

[Phil Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recall if I had reviewed the other seven books in this phenomenal series - and I am too lazy to check. I first picked this book up in October, read twelve pages and put it down until the new year. I am not sure if it just did not grab me, if I was not in the mood at the time or maybe, just maybe, I did not want the series to end. But when I did pick it up again I read with a vengeance.
How does John Jakes do it? The amount of research that had to have gone into this much material. Add to that, diverse research. I think there was maybe one historical fact that he had erred on, I am not an expert in all the areas he writes on, and I cannot recall what that error is. What he gives in abundance is an accurate history that goes from just before the American Revolution and ends in 1891.
The historical characters that he does weave into the story come alive. Jakes does not have them do anything they would not have done in real life. For example, he does not have Roosevelt be a drinker - one of the biggest misconceptions about ol' Teddy. But these historical figures that come in and out of the story are not the main course, merely tasty entrees. The main attraction is the Kent family. A dynamic, albeit at times dysfunctional, family. There were times where I did not want to read because I was worried about what would happen to one of the Kent's. I would think, no, he cannot have THAT happen, but he does. Whatever that "that" may be. Or I would skip ahead to see if another character lives or not. I just could not go on without knowing.
Jakes is a masterful writer who creates memorable characters, tells amazing stories and makes history come alive. One can smell the smells and hear the sounds. My favorite book, or one of, is The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Carr was either heavily inspired by Jakes or genius struck twice in the same vein. I cannot wait to get into North and South . . . and everything else Jakes has ever written.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the Kent Family Chronicles leaves me with mixed feelings. Happy to be done the series, but also sad because I will not longer have any stories following the Kent Family exploits.

In this book, we continue to follow Gideon Kent as he worries over the future of the family while his children Carter, Will and Eleanor struggle to find themselves among the Gilded Age in America. I found Gideon and Will's stories to be the most compelling and I was invested in them. I especially found Will's foray in the West with Theodore Roosevelt to be intersting. Carter was a frustrating character who was absent from the majority of the book but pops up at the end with the groundwork for a compelling story. It's too bad Jakes never wrote another book to follow that thread. I did not find Eleanor's story interesting in the slightest. It was an uneven book that was much too long, but was none the less interesting at the same time. Jakes can write a good historical soap opera.

So ends The Kent Family Chronicles. It was a mixed series for me, started strong and I think it peaked in Book 4 but overall I was entertained and enjoyed my time with the Kent Family. Book 4 was my favourite and Amanda Kent the most compelling and intersting character Jakes created for the series. It's was a shame she was only featured in one book (as an adult). A solid series of historical fiction.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the finale of the Kent Chronicles the focus is on the next generation of Kents and what mark they will leave. Carter is determined to be a boss and to be wealthy and a decisionmaker. Eleanor is struggling to overcome her ordeal from the night her mother died, and Will is determined to be a success but doesn’t know how. While the “children” are struggling, Gideon is trying desperately for them to understand the importance of making a difference; he is also trying to figure out which child will lead the family in his absence. Carter’s adventures to the West provide insight into the changing landscape while Eleanor’s life in the theater focuses on the arts and her experiences as she travels the country, finally Will takes readers into the slums of New York City as he studies and practices medicine. Will each of them succeed in life just as Gideon hopes?

This book wraps up this family chronicle quite nicely. Each character is given their due and their future is set before the end of the novel. This book also includes many important events and topics of this era from women’s rights to the power of political parties and the deplorable situations found in the slums. Very well researched and written, this is a quick read and definitely a great end to a wonderful series!

[Daniel Berthiaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I have just finsished this last book in the Kent family saga series. I must say I really enjoyed this series. It had been a long time since I had dedicated my reading time to an 8 book series and I have no regrets. This last book was excellent and the characters all had great stories to follow. I have a couple of books I have put on the back burner since I started this series so I will get on with those but I'll come back to Mr. Jakes in a short while as I want to read California Gold. Anyway, for those that are perhaps worried about taking on an 8 book series, I'd say not to worry. You can start by the first one and pretty much stop anytime you want after that. But even if you want to read the whole series, it is not such an impossible feat. All the books are around 600 to 700 pages and it took me about 8 months to read it all. Anyway, thanks for this Mr. Jakes.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like some other readers, The Americans was a difficult book to finish. Parts are very engrossing and others not so much. The Johnstown Flood was so devastating to read about. Makes one want to look up pictures and get an even greater awareness of the devastation. Will's journey is very interesting too. The reader just knows that there is something wrong with Laura and her family, the Pennels. Carter's journey is very frustrating for a reader. How can one person get into so much trouble.

That is my only challenge, that the characters in each generation always have someone who has a negative interaction with them that ultimately proves fatal.
Wish the family chart was clearer. Too bad the story didn't continue on past the death of Gideon. One would love to know what happens to Will, Eleanor and Carter.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series. I didn't love each book as much as the other, and I didn't love each character, but John Jakes does a phenomenal job of putting you on the ground throughout a century of history and I felt I was able to learn a lot that I hadn't known and put certain events in the proper order. I was devastated at the demise of the final patriarch, who I think took up the most time and was a good representation of a man of the time. He also placed the characters throughout the country–and a couple of them outside the country, including the founding member of the family–and portraying different personality types and different viewpoints. I would recommended this series to anyone who loves history from the the late 18th through the late 19th century.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Difficult Series to End

I very much enjoyed the entire Kent Family series and the many stories of told throughout American history. Though I definitely enjoyed some of the books better than others, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this series to another. I honestly did not want this series to end and, as a result, had a difficult time finishing the final installment.

The sole reason for giving this volume 4 stars instead of 5 is the fact that it seemed to try to fit too much into one book. The storyline follows 4 different characters and there loves over a significant period of time and it felt like some of character development was brushed over in order to continue other storylines. Despite this, the book was a wonderful read!