In this
beautiful book, Edward Rutherfurd, specialist of family sagas, tells the story
of the most important American city (and one of the most fascinating in the
world), seen through the vicissitudes of the Master family, from the moment it
was founded by Dutch (with the name of New Amsterdam ) to the present day.
Rutherfurd,
a native of Salisbury New York
Even if
history itself plays a key role in this novel, leaving us a glimpse of the
enormous work of research done by the author, its presence is discreet, not
invasive, also because it is supposed that those who read the book already have
some knowledge of it, to which, however, interesting details are added. History
is however only the background on which the Masters move, showing them to us
sometimes directly and sometimes through the eyes of characters associated with
them. Through this family we learn about the contradictions and complexity of
American society, from the moment of its birth until today, particularly those
related to ethnic and religious minorities, different from each other (American
Indians, blacks, Irish, Germans, Italians, Jews), but all united by the
discrimination to which they have been subjected over the centuries. Some of
these stories have happy endings; some are stories of resignation to the
condition of their protagonists. All of them, however, are exciting and keep
you glued to the pages, to know their outcome and eventually discover how these
are linked by the common thread represented by a belt made of shells, a small
work of art symbol of the love of a daughter for his father.
The final
chapters set in the past decade are particularly moving, in which it is perhaps
easier to identify with, as they are based on events still fresh in our memory
like the 11th of September. Here in my opinion the author gives the best of
himself transporting us into that New York
Whether you
like or not New York
New York: The Novel
on Amazon.com.
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