Massachusetts

I’m a sucker for big historical fiction books. I figure the author had done their homework and didn’t treat their audience like idiots. So I stumbled on this book at a goodwill and snatched it up. She starts a family off the mayflower and builds on it. Really draws you in. Until about halfway then the family is so scattered and it seems hard to follow or even get emotionally attached to anyone. Her history is good and entertaining but it’s hard to put the family in anything of consequence historically as the timeline grows closer. It’s a good page turner but I started losing interest about halfway through. But then again, I’m not from Massachusetts.

I first read this book in High School and loved it. After about 7 years I decided to read it again and have loved it just as much. The book is very interesting and really draws you in. It also is loaded with history, oftentimes history that I was never taught in school. This book is a must read if you are interested in history or are from Massachusetts. The only problem with it is that it leaves me wishing that I was a "Boston Brahmin" myself.

I live in Massachusetts and have been familiar with the history and visited many of the historical sites. They are full of facts, etc. but nothing lets you actually live the life as this book does. It's the top of my list. It's a big book but very fast-paced. Wished it wouldn't end.

I read this book years ago and it still stands among my top three books of all time. I'm sorry it wasn't required reading during high school - I would have come away from graduation with a much more meaningful understanding of the growth of my home state.