Reads: A Good American by Alex George

The Meisenheimer family made their way across the big ole sea to settle into a new American life.  The story chronicles both the heartwarming and heartbreaking moments of embracing a new country (sometimes readily, other times not so much) and laying down new roots to anchor the lives of their children and their children’s children.  The story begins with the early years of Frederick and Jette, the pioneers of the Meisenheimer immigration to the United States. The pacing of the story varies between slow and leisurely to fast and furious, so don’t be too discouraged during those unhurried parts of the tale.  I found this to be a beautiful and detailed account of becoming a “new” American in a strange new land.  You’ll notice a recurring musical theme throughout the book that helps tie together the adventure as it moves through generation after generation of this strong, and undeniably human, family.

I read quite a bit, but there are only a few books that I would recommend to my husband, knowing full well that our literary tastes are quite divergent.  However, I’ll be leaving this one on his nightstand, as I feel that this tale appeals to a broad and diverse audience, and I’d recommend it to just about anyone.   I read it alongside a couple of other books I was picking my way through, and that helped to move along the parts of the story that seemed to drag.  As a random aside, the weathered color of the cover and frayed, feathered edges of the pages totally appealed to my girly side.  I felt like I was flipping through a dusty journal found in my grandparent’s attic, and made the experience all the more enjoyable.   I may be a bit weird (and alone?) in that last one, but there it is.

Interested in reading this book or hearing about what others think? Head on over to BlogHer for a wealth of information!

Full disclosure: I read and reviewed this book as part of BlogHer’s book club.  Opinions are, as always, my own.  If I hated the book, I’d let you guys know.  You’re my peeps. You can trust me, k?