Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 9/10/2008 + 1182 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 6

I thought this was a super epic that detailed some of the momentous events both in Europe and America from 1848-1850. It ranged from the revolution in Paris in 1848 to the California gold rush. It follows the life of Ben Knowles as he moves from Europe to America, falls in love, and journeys to the far west along with a few flawed friends he meets in New York. Along the way they encounter various religious groups living in "utopias" in the Midwest as well as the Mormons emigrating from Missouri to Salt Lake City. I could definitely relate to this part of the novel since I grew up in Utah and have a Mormon background. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of early New York - it reminded me of another great novel about New York in the late 1800s that I read recently and would recommend: Metropolis by Elizabeth Gaffney. All in all, I would highly recommend "Heyday."

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