American as Apple Pie

A Good American by Alex George
In 1904 Frederick Meisenheimer flees Germany with his wife from her disapproving parents, their destination: America. But when they find a boat set to sail to New Orleans instead of New York, they figure both are new, right? The two of them settle in Missouri, and what fallows is the story of their family over the next hundred years. We live through WWI with the Meisenheimers, WWII, the Korean War, all the way through to the 21 century.

I wound up really enjoying this. I want to say I was a bit surprised, except from its summary I was expecting to enjoy it, so it doesn't quite fit. I loved all the history throughout, and that it took place in the South. I do read a lot of historical fiction, and while quite a bit takes place in the South, I've haven't really read any that takes place in the early 1900s.

Speaking of the early 1900s, I loved those parts of the books. Part of me does wish the book was longer so that way there could be more of a focus of that time period specifically. Also since there was so much time, and so many different characters, it was hard to really get to know all of them. Yes, there were a few a really loved, and some I understand, but part of me wanted more from the book. At 400 hundred pages the book is by no means short, but I wish it was longer because I would have loved to have read more and kept reading this family's story. I do think this is a book you'll be hearing more about soon, and I do feel privileged to have discovered this book so early.

5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.