This subtitle of this book is: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington. And while no one who knows anything at all about American history knows the plot did not succeed, who even knew there was a plot? In fact, that seems to be why the author wrote the book in the first place. Meltzer Read More
Geneature
A Front Page Affair, by Radha Vatsal
This is the first of two books, at least so far, about a wealthy young woman trying to become a reporter in New York City right as the US is deciding to enter WWI. I said “at least so far” because these are described as a “series”, and I think you need more than two Read More
The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
This is a book I have heard about since High School, but I had never read it before. I see why it was mentioned in High School; apparently the descriptions of the meat processing plants helped .lead to food safety regulations. I also see why the book itself was not required reading. It is a Read More
The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty
At the beginning of this book, we learn that Cora was transported by the Orphan Train in the late 1800’s to Kansas, where she is one of the lucky ones, chosen by a family that actually want a daughter, not just a servant. She thinks she is lucky again, when she meets and marries Alan Read More
Last Call, The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
I thought I knew enough about Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933. I’d heard of Carry Nation, bathtub gin, and bootlegging. But this book is a detailed look not just at the time period between the passage of the Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments, but also what led up the passage of each. Okrent also Read More
In God We Trust, by Jean Shepard
You may not recognize the title of the book, but you should recognize the move it inspired – “A Christmas Story”. You will find some of the scenes in the movie in this book, a few verbatim, along with various other stories that would not necessarily be appropriate for a family movie. The story is Read More
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr
If you enjoy gritty police procedural mysteries, then you would appreciate this book. An “alienist” is what we would refer to today as a psychologist, in this case a police psychologist. Set in New York City in 1896, the description of the city is very detailed, and important to the plot. I’ve visited NYC, but Read More
Food in the United States, 1820’s – 1890, by Susan Williams
While this is not the typical book you might think about reading to learn more about your ancestors, it can potentially tell you a lot about what they may have been eating, how it was prepared, and even how it might have been served. In addition to utilizing other books about the history of food Read More
The Assassination of Jesse James, by Ron Hansen
The full title of this book is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the book does indeed discuss both men. It has also been made into a movie, which I have not seen (I almost always prefer the book!). Jesse James looms large in popular culture, even to this day, Read More
Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende
Although only about a third of this book takes place in the United States, it is still worthwhile to read, especially if you had an ancestor who lived in California during or just after the Gold Rush. The first part of the story follows the title character, Eliza Sommers, through her childhood and youth in Read More