A review by zuomiriam
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd

5.0

One of the coolest books I've ever read: Rutherfurd blends fictional families into the meticulously research background of New York City from the 1600s all the way up to 2009 and, in doing so, provides an element of local color that really makes the history come alive. He introduces various families (e.g. a wealthy Dutch family, an enslaved family, a family of Italian immigrants, and a poor Irish family) as their lives intersect with historical currents and major figures; for example, Rutherfurd describes the Revolutionary War at length through characters on both the Loyalist and Patriot fronts. I wish he'd touched more on the World Wars, but as a whole, I'm incredibly impressed by this book, and I think it sets a high bar for what historical fiction can be.