A Good American

By Alex George

Book Overview

"A beautifully written novel, laced with history and music." --Emily St. John Mandel, author of "Station Eleven" An uplifting novel about the families we create and the places we call home. It is 1904. When Frederick and Jette must flee her disapproving mother, where better to go than America, the land of the new? Originally set to board a boat to New York, at the last minute, they take one destined for New Orleans instead (""What's the difference? They're both new""), and later find themselves, more by chance than by design, in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri. Not speaking a word of English, they embark on their new life together. Beatrice is populated with unforgettable characters: a jazz trumpeter from the Big Easy who cooks a mean gumbo, a teenage boy trapped in the body of a giant, a pretty schoolteacher who helps the young men in town learn about a lot more than just music, a minister who believes he has witnessed the Second Coming of Christ, and a malevolent, bicycle-riding dwarf."A Good American" is narrated by Frederick and Jette's grandson, James, who, in telling his ancestors' story, comes to realize he doesn't know his own story at all. From bare-knuckle prizefighting and Prohibition to sweet barbershop harmonies, the Kennedy assassination, and beyond, James's family is caught up in the sweep of history. Each new generation discovers afresh what it means to be an American. And, in the process, Frederick and Jette's progeny sometimes discover more about themselves than they had bargained for. Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, "A Good American" is a novel about being an outsider-in your country, in your hometown, and sometimes even in your own family. It is a universal story about our search for home.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039915759X
• ISBN13: 9780399157592
• Release Date: February 2012
• Publisher: Putnam Adult
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Good But a Plot Twist Ruined it for Me

There are 381 pages in this book. After reading about 350 of them I considered this a very good book. But then suddenly the whole story changed and what was written way back in the book became totally untrue. The book no longer made sense. Plus, I don't understand the title. The book is about 3 generations of a family. One of the characters narrated it. Which character did the author think was the good American?

Thoroughly enjoyed!

Had a hard time putting this book down it’s so good! A well told story. Have just ordered two more of the author’s books. Looking forward to diving in!

always searching for good fiction

One of the best fiction books I have read !! sad, funny, and true to life of many "good American" families.