Generations
Alex George told a very ambitious tale and he told it well. We are all immigrants and can relate to so many things that his fictional family, the Meisenheimers, experience. The book is full of love, and tolerance, justices and injustices. It also contains a surprise or two. The title, A Good American, gives us much to think on as the story unfolds. We must ask ourselves the question posed. A good read.
Rated of 5
by Rachel D. (Leominster, MA)
A Good American
I have read this book and found it to be charming and sad and funny. The family coming to America and learning the language and habits of Americans and how to get along is inspiring. It moves along at a good pace and keeps the reader interested from begining to end.
Rated of 5
by Judy K. (Conroe, TX)
Great Entertainment!
From page one, this book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. It tells the story that is the same story many American families would tell if they had a talent like Alex George among the ranks. It traces the saga of the Meisenheimer family's journey from Germany in 1904 to America through the present day. Along the way, we experience little slices of history as they touched this family: prohibition, racism, WWI, WWII, the Great Depression. We see how a given talent, singing in this instance, runs through generation after generation. We see how tastes in food and music evolve through the years. Throughout the telling of this American Story, we laugh out loud at characters like a dwarf attorney dressed in three-piece suits and a spinster aunt with a pronounced case of hypochondria. It is very interesting to trace the Americanization of the Meisenheimers from Frederick and Jette to their great-grandchildren who are as far removed from Germany as four generations can take them. Great read. You won't be disappointed.
Rated of 5
by Joan P. (Owego, NY)
A Good American
"A Good American" turned out to be surprisingly good. It started out being interesting but ordinary. As it went on it gathered steam and got better and better.
The characters that I thought improbable developed and became real. There were some that were unreal but entertaining, a dwarf, a giant, a very seductive school teacher and a bartender that fell down drunk every night, to name a few. Characters came and left only to reappear later in the story. When Frederick sang in France with a piano player from Missouri, I thought I know who he was but who under the age of seventy would know. Later in the story, much later his identity is revealed.
Although the main theme of this book is patriotism and the love an immigrant can feel for America as he raises his family and becomes a citizen, there were numerous threads woven through the story. Frederick's talent and love for music is passed down to his boys. The Kaiser Medal, although it's history caused Jette to be ashamed, is stolen and used bring change to many lives. There were interesting sub-plots concerning religion and race.
I enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to my book club.
Rated of 5
by Elizabeth P. (north massapequq, new york)
A GOOD AMERICAN
I loved this book. I know so little of my grandparents journey to America and having read this book, I feel such a loss that I don't know more. We all know that the immigrants came to have a better life, but there's more than that to each personal journey. There's a line in this book that says it all. "I understand when Joseph listened to us, he could hear the distant echo of his own sweet song" I wish I had the echo of their sweet song.
Rated of 5
by Betsy R. (Gig Harbor, WA)
Good American
During a rare snowstorm here in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to read The Good American - and read it straight through in one afternoon. I found the story to be leisurely but entertaining; I also enjoyed the small town setting. The characters of Jette and Frederick were my favorites, with Rosa next in line-I wanted to know more about her. The only thing I did not like was the continual foreshadowing thrown in...I did not think the story needed it. I will probably select this for my book group to read, however - the central theme of what it means to be in a family is one that has many areas for discussion.
Rated of 5
by Anna S. (Auburn, AL)
A Good American
This wonderful book about immigrants written by a man who is himself an immigrant offers many keen insights into the process of becoming assimilated into a new country and culture. I found myself alternately laughing and crying but enjoying every moment and wanting for more. The fact that I could readily identify with many of the characters in the book made it all the more enjoyable. My only complaint about the book is that it is a bit predictable but, thank goodness, not overly so.
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of 5
by Helen M. (Petaluma, CA)
