Homeland

The Crown Family Saga #1

by John Jakes

At the dawn of a new century, from the uncontrolled chaos of Chicago's infamous Pullman Strike, to the birth of the moving picture, and the bloody carnage of the Spanish-American War, the immigrant Crown family raced with the currents of a changing world and their own desires, to claim America as their own.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Novels, Drama, Romance, Epic

1200 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

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

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason for my 5 star review is two-fold. Not only Do Jakes characters come alive and the story holds interest throughout, it is also the very first book of Jakes i ever read and it introduced me to him.

[Mary JL · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 1200 pages, this book is long--but there is really a lot of good writing in here. A great blend of history and fiction; the type John Jakes does so well.

There are two events showcased. The Pullman Strike in Chicago is the first. Joe Crown, Paul's uncle is a brewery owner,quite rich and opposed to the untions. Joe, Jr. his son, is rebelling against his father, who likes to control people. When the strike erupts in violence and one of Joe Crown's trusted employees is killed, he is furious with his son. Paul helps Joe , Jr. escape so Paul flees to the Chicago slums and Joe, Jr. heads west.

We follower three seperate lives--Paul learning photography and the early days of motion pictures. Joe, Jr flees to California but still cannot escape his sympathy with the underdog and agains is caught between owners and workers in a strike. And Joe Crown , Sr. is tryingep his marriage together, for his wife blames him for the loss of their son and their nephew, Paul.

The climatic event of the book is the Spanish American War. Joe Crown,Sr.; a Union veteran is called back to service as an officer.Paul is sent to get the first real photgraphs of an historic event--taking his camera into the war zone in Cuba. The story of Paul and his uncle's meeting in the war zone is very well done. I especially like his portrayal of Joe, Sr.--he is not an ogre or a fool--he is just resistant to change. But he does change,slowly, and endss up a more sympathetic character.

All the main characters are well done--true to life, rather than stereotypes. Mixed in are historical characters such as Teddy Roosevlet, Jane Addams, Stephen Crane, and dozens of others.

The descirptions of Paul's trip in steerage (horrid); the early days of photography and films; a good picture of Chicago in the 1890's and much, much more is waiting for you in this book.

I almost gave five stars but there were just a little too many coincidences. Also, most everything ended fairly happily for our protagonists, and I found happily ever after a bit unrealistic. I mean, everybody comes out okay?

Still one of Jakes' better books---lots of drama, good historical research, good character development and a fast and interesting story. The story kept me reading for 1200 pages--about all, it is a strong STORY. The strength of the storytelling overrides the few rough spots.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Homeland is the first in a John Jakes series about the Crown family, a story of German-American immigrants from the 19th century. As the story opens, young Paul Crown barely escapes starvation to arrive in America where, he again, barely escapes starvation. Luckily for him, he has a wealthy American relative - Joe Crown. The elder Crown is a self-made man, emigrating himself as a youth and founding a beer empire in Chicago.

Jakes provides an interesting look at Chicago in the late 19th century. From the Temperance movement, the beginnings of trade unions and the Spanish-American War, the reader experiences much of the American political scene combined with a quick-paced, page-turning story that will keep you reading long after you know you should have gone to bed.

I love reading a good John Jakes novel. I would label him pop/historical fiction because of his broad appeal. Yes, he always seems to like happy ending, and sometimes the story is a bit predictable, but that doesn't stop it from being entertaining.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in jail. I had been talking about antiques to another inmate. The next day he gave me this book and said, "This book reminds me of you. You should read it."

Even though I was intimidated by the number of pages, I had nothing better to do, so I read it.

This book changed my life. I had read many books before that, but none I had so thoroughly enjoyed.

I don't know who that man was, nor do I remember his name. But I became a reader after that brief jail stay. I read every John Jakes book I could find and then I moved on.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see my detailed review at Amazon.com
The sequence containing his travel from Germany to America - the hellish passage in steerage, the long walk to Chicago, is vividly drawn and, at times, painful to read. That's only the beginning of the many trials that Paul will face as he grows into this new Country, America. Along the way we meet many well-drawn and interesting characters, including Paul's uncle, Joseph, who is still mired in the old ways, and his Aunt Ilsa, who is stepping into the new. Cousin Joe Jr. wants to change the world, and Cousin Fritzi wants to be an actress. Paul finds himself fascinated with the magic of "living pictures" and struggles with his need to explore that passion.

Real-life historical figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Clara Barton and several others move through the story, as they do through all of Jakes' novels, and the characters find themselves in the middle of extraordinary historical events. The only reason I gave this four stars rather than five is that I thought it dragged a bit during the section regarding the Spanish-American War, but military buffs' interest may vary. I immediately picked up the sequel, American Dreams, and was excited to see what would happen next.

I have always loved John Jakes' multi-volume family series, and have been waiting impatiently for something like this since the North and South series completed many years ago. It isn't demanding, but it's interesting and compelling, and it causes me to want to learn more about the time period depicted.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consisting of over 1,200 pages, I picked this book up thinking that I would lose interest and probably not finish it, but John Jakes is the best historical fiction writer that I have ever encountered. I not only enjoyed reading every page of this book but I learned a great deal too. I loved this book.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book bounced between 3-4 stars for me. I liked the writing but I did find myself wanting to skip sections of it because I lost interest in the character.

I think the Crowns are an interesting story and I will continue to read the series to see where they go from here.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually enjoy reading John Jakes - history mixed into interesting characters and story lines. I get an enjoyable read, and maybe learn something along the way. This book, from an immigrant's perspective, gives glimpses of the immigrant experience in America. Things we've often heard parts of, but the book winds it into a fleshed-out, full story. I was not riveted to this book as I have been with other Jakes books, but it did catch me enough to want to know what happens to Pauli next. Some of the historical relating and facts lost me, but the character and his journey, especially with the development of moving pictures, kept me drawn in. Overall, the good read I expected to get from a John Jakes novel.

[Billye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book- this book starts in the 1890's in America with a the Crowne Family of german immigrants. It begins where the 10 book series of the Kent Family Chronicles stopped. The Kent Chronicles started in 1700's in America and ended in 1880's. This is the first book with a new family and there will be 2 in this series. This is well written and very interesting and a way to learn about American History. This book is almost 800 pages, fine print and a large book but well worth the read. I'm going to read the next book. John Jakes is an amazing historical fiction writer and has done much research to make his books authentic.

[Sean Cocchia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love historical fiction (JJakes and JArcher
Type of books)... but this JJakes did not have the normal magic. The battle between the capitalist and his socialist kids felt thin. I never had the challenge of being pulled between two sides - instead I felt like the kids were just spoiled. And then the chapters on the Spanish-American War were just boring and the side characters somewhat useless and unfulfilling

[Dan]

This book was absolutely amazing. One of the best historical fictions I have ever read. The paperback is over 1,000 pages, but I liked it so much those 1,000 pages seemed to go by too fast. I wish they would make this into a mini-series. I've re-read it several times. And I NEVER re-read books.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have yet not to love a John Jakes book. I especially loved this one since it is set in Chicago, one of the few big cities that I am familiar with. Please don't let the length of this book keep you from reading it...it is time well spent. I feel like each of the characters is an acquaintance!

[Deb Jenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Follows the life of a boy that immigrates from Germany to Chicago in the late 1800s. Since I live in Chicago today, I especially liked hearing about the city and the attractions at that time.

[Victoria Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I remember I saw it in a thrift store, I liked the cover so I decided to read it. It's great, and the best part is that its part of a trilogy. The story focuses on Pauli Kroner, a German who dreams of being a wealthy successful entrepreneur. He lives in a poor neighbourhood in Berlin with his uncles. One day his aunt advises him to emigrate to the United States since he has an uncle in Chicago. Pauli accepts, he immediately starts working to save money in order to board the next boat, There are a lot of adventures waiting for him, for sure it will be an exciting experience. It is a fascinating story because it reminds me of all those people who came from Europe to the Americas in search of a better life. Most of them came with dreams and goals. They went through many difficult situations, I think it is worth remembering them and valuing that effort they made since without them we would not be here, in the great continent of America.

[Mike Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jakes is another "popular" author who has been around a long while. I recall reading some of his Civil War novels decades ago. He tells a good story and this was no exception.

The protagonist, Pauli, who becomes Paul, as a boy immigrates from Germany in the late 1800s and makes his way alone, from New York City to Chicago where he lives with his uncle's family. The uncle is a wealthy brewer. It's quite a loving family but the uncle's stubborn ways serve to undermine the harmony.

Paul is adaptable and tough and manages to survive a lot of strife and disappointment in his life. This all set against the backdrop of the depression of the late 1800s, the birth of the labor movement, the advent of moving pictures, automobiles, telephones, and much more. Jakes does a good job of providing chunks of history well woven into his tales.

I'd say that if you're looking for a fairly well-written easy read then you could do worse than you might with this book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about the Crowns and I love the late nineteenth century period. It felt like I was right there and I could almost see Teddy Roosevelt. My only complaint is the 1100 pages and of course I knew that when I started it.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

*swoon*

Another wonderful book by John Jakes.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history; he's a very good writer.

[Sharon Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FINALLY finished reading this tome!! Oh, heavens, it is one VERY BIG book, clocking in at 1174 pages!! That being said, it WAS a very good, very well written saga. It is the story of Paul Crown, how he starts out as a young boy over in Germany, and manages to scrape, claw, and scour his way here to America, under the sponsorship of his Uncle Joseph Crown, who has established a brewery, this taking place circa 1890. The story goes on through Paul's life, tells of his many struggles and heartaches to finally get established as a filmmaker, which at that period of time, was a very new concept. He went through literal hell trying to get film footage made during the Spanish-American War, nearly losing his life to do so. All in all, a very interesting story, although a very long one. I have been a fan of John Jakes' books for many, many years, I actually read the Kent Family Chronicles as a teenager, as I had to miss several weeks of school to recover from ear surgery, and read most of those books back then. I don't honestly know if I would have tackled this book if I had not already been a fan of his books. Oh, and yes, there's, believe it or not, a sequel to this book, but it is a much more sensible 300-400 pages, if I remember correctly. If you are a fan of John Jakes' works, or a history buff, then I definitely recommend this book, otherwise, you may find it too daunting to get through such a long read.

[Alastair Carthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 1174 pages this book is a challenge; one I took on which lasted around two years. An epic story of the emergence of America in the late 19th Century through the trials and tribulations of a German immigrant family from Chicago, it is a masterpiece of detailed research. Perhaps too much at times, as Jakes delves into minute detail about events that could be dealt with more precisely. But, overall his nice comparting of the narrative around a few key characters as the family encounters national events leading them down vastly different paths, are pulled together in the final chapters with an adeptness that is a credit to the author. I felt much better informed about American immigrant history ( I am a Kiwi, so that's saying something) at the end. The book particularly resonates given what is happening with immigration in the US at present. The welcome mat of Ellis Island in New York has been whipped away by politics. The book's size, the close text and detailed descriptions may deter the reader at first, but Homeland is worth persevering with.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

talk about putting history and using politics by low-minded men in perspective. It seem like it has been happening forever! ;)

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engrossing story of an immigrant and his family, circa 1890-1900. Very long; it dragged a bit at times. But I will probably read the next installment.


2020 Update: There is only one thing wrong with this book, and that is its length. 1200 pages is just too long. But everything else is great: the characters, the dialogue, the many-faceted plot, and the turn of the century setting. Especially good is the research revealed in the many historical events in the book. Jakes is just plain great at painting a picture of a past world, using real and imagined characters.

[Carol Wrenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pop used to say he hated to take time from books to earn a living. Man's never lonely with a book in his pocket, he'd say. Books give a man ten thousand friends. Some are smart, some are funny, some are just pleasant for passing the time, but they're all good. Me, I ain't as smart as my pop but I still read a lot. Othello Person pg 965

[Gloria Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

This book is so consuming, I had a hard time putting it down. This story is about German refugees coming to America to try and make a better life. They had a very hard time making there way culturally..but made from a strong bloodline and wills,they carved a place for themselves here in America.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning about the history of the late 1800s in America. Although I knew some things about the labor movement, I had no idea how widespread it was across the country. I also loved that the book was a hefty 1200 pages, really enough to allow me to join the Crown family via that willing suspension of disbelief.

[terri gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! Jake's makes you feel as if you are right there living the history and feeling the same feelings the characters felt. Couldn't stop reading! I wish I would have paid more attention in history classes!

One of my favorite! History presented in a way I don't think I've ever read before. Couldn't stop thinking about it!

[Susan Dorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a monster of a book! About 3" thick! I would've given it 5 stars, except that the long recitations of historical facts and events in many parts dragged the story to a halt. Still, it was a very interesting and exciting tale of the early days of America when Immigrants were pouring in hoping to carve a new propsperous life for themselves in the Land of Opportunity.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts out as a very compelling read, however, it is long, and the last quarter becomes rather predictable, sn a little tedious. At 1000+ pages, I was happy when I finished, although it was an excellent way to put a face on that history that was so boring in 11th grade....

[Olga H. Rivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is based on prior charactors from the first book. It is a History Buffs' dream come true. It has been a long time since I read it, but I even learned things I did not know.

[Rebecca S. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midwest Historical fiction

I love the characters created by John Jakes. They always have interesting flaws and see their world and very interesting ways.