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A review by steve_pikov
Chesapeake by James A. Michener
4.0
Michener, in my mind one of the masters of the epic historical novel, focuses his lens on the famous bay of the title. Set along the Choptank River, a major tributary on its eastern shore, it tells the story of the land and its people at the crossroads of the North and South, and at a gateway from and to Europe. Wintering grounds of Canada geese, home to great blue heron, a rich aquatic habitat, and northern limit for tobacco growth, it’s an area well-worth examining.
The novel covers a period of nearly 400 years from its pre-colonization First Nations in the late 1500’s to the post-Watergate mid-Seventies. It largely focuses on the strong men and women of four archetypical families: the Steeds, descendants of wealthy aristocrats; the Paxmores, devout Quaker shipbuilders with progressive, activist wives; the feral and resilient Turlocks, masters of the waters and the uncharted marsh; and the Caters, victims of the slave trade and the black experience in America.
Weighing in between 200-300,000 words by various estimates, it took me two months to read. Despite its length (which is to be expected from Michener), it is compelling reading. Divided into thirteen massive chapters plus epilogue, each covers a pivotal period in American history. Over the generations the fortunes of each family change, rise, fall. Weak husbands of one generation are compensated for by strong wives of each line. Their stories, often told in thrilling set-pieces, drive the novel forward.
Meticulously researched (the acknowledgements alone cover four fine-printed pages), ecological themes run throughout the narrative, indeed framed by the pre-colonization point of view of natives living in balance with their environment, and the ecological revival of the time of writing.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction, and of Michener in particular. Trigger warning to the gentle reader: The “n-word” is used in its historical context.
The novel covers a period of nearly 400 years from its pre-colonization First Nations in the late 1500’s to the post-Watergate mid-Seventies. It largely focuses on the strong men and women of four archetypical families: the Steeds, descendants of wealthy aristocrats; the Paxmores, devout Quaker shipbuilders with progressive, activist wives; the feral and resilient Turlocks, masters of the waters and the uncharted marsh; and the Caters, victims of the slave trade and the black experience in America.
Weighing in between 200-300,000 words by various estimates, it took me two months to read. Despite its length (which is to be expected from Michener), it is compelling reading. Divided into thirteen massive chapters plus epilogue, each covers a pivotal period in American history. Over the generations the fortunes of each family change, rise, fall. Weak husbands of one generation are compensated for by strong wives of each line. Their stories, often told in thrilling set-pieces, drive the novel forward.
Meticulously researched (the acknowledgements alone cover four fine-printed pages), ecological themes run throughout the narrative, indeed framed by the pre-colonization point of view of natives living in balance with their environment, and the ecological revival of the time of writing.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction, and of Michener in particular. Trigger warning to the gentle reader: The “n-word” is used in its historical context.