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cancermoononhigh's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
brock111's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book very much, but this is a time period I teach to my 8th graders. Some of the battle descriptions were too involved for me. I enjoyed reading about so many historical figures: James and Dolley Madison, Andrew and Rachel Jackson, Winfield Scott, and many more.
asteroidbuckle's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy historical fiction, especially that based on well-researched facts and which includes prominent historical figures. I am also a fan of David Nevin's work, though I did find Dream West arduous and disappointing. But this book was a solid effort.
First of all, it gets extra credit for dealing with the not-often-explored-in-fiction War of 1812. Wedged between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, this conflict - the young United States' second war with England - is often forgotten. However, it was a pivotal and important war from the standpoint that it showed the world once and for all that the new country was a burgeoning force to be reckoned with in world affairs and not just some snotty upstart that needed to be put in its place.
The strength of the book is its crisp writing and well-developed characters. Nevin has a knack for taking historical events and making them come alive and in my opinion, his very best ability is describing scenes of battle. Each pivotal battle of the war was described in gorgeous detail from the point of view of someone who was there on the front line as a participant. (There is one exception to this. The naval battle at Plattsburgh was described through the eyes of the a third party, Sally McQuirk, a feisty female newspaper reporter.) The cruelties and yes, even beauty, of battle was more than adequately described in Nevin's capable hands, at times making the reader feel like they were actually there. In those sections, Nevin's descriptive abilities definitely shine through the page.
He also does a great job of bringing historical figures to life. The book revolves primarily around five characters:
--James Madison. The fourth President of the United States is best known for his part in drafting both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. And what he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in intellect, stubbornness, and patriotism. Refusing to back down in the face of strong opposition from all sides, he helps his young country stay the course while at the same time hiding a bone-deep weariness and deep desire to live out his life on his beloved farm, Montpelier. His feisty speeches and iron will, countered with his compassion and undiminished love for his wife make him a very endearing character.
--Dolley Madison. Long known as the beautiful young wife and consummate hostess, the Dolley in this book also has a sharp temper and quick wit that makes her seem less ethereal. She stands up for her husband with a fierce devotion while at the same time providing him with a safe place to let down his guard and be himself. And when the British sack the new capital at Washington, burning the White House to the ground, she bravely risks her life to save the country's legacy.
--Andrew Jackson. Strident and unbending, this Western militia general turned Hero of New Orleans demands respect from everyone - soldiers, citizens, and politicians alike. Possessing a dangerous and often violent temper, he nonetheless manages to use it to his own great advantage. A brilliant military mind with a peculiarly accurate intuition, he maintains single-minded focus on what he believes is his destiny: to become a prominent force in young nation's future by protecting its western interests. In this, he succeeds. His only weak spot and the only glimpse into his softer side involves his beloved wife, Rachel. Without her, he would have destroyed himself long ago. And without her, he would be a nearly unlikeable character.
--Rachel Jackson. Kind and pious and utterly devoted to her firebrand husband, she nonetheless possesses an iron core that allows her to endure his long and for her, nearly unbearable, absences. She's completely dependent on him for happiness, but has enough independence to keep their farm, The Hermitage, running while he's gone and to organize an 'army' of doctors and clergy to send to New Orleans to look after the needs of the army. She's stronger than she looks, though when she's finally reunited with Andrew at the end, you can't help but think she's better off by his side.
--Winfield Scott. Intelligent and handsome and an expert on military strategy, he begins the book as a Lieutenant. By the end, he's one of only five permanent Brigadier Generals in the US Army. And he's only 29 years old. He's highly ambitious and rather arrogant, but not unlikeably so. And he has the ability to back it up. Seeing the need for a trained army, he puts his skills to work to whip the northern army into a fighting force that becomes a formidable adversary for the professional British troops. Injured in battle, he nonetheless plays a critical role in the success of the US Army in the northern theater, thereby securing a place for himself in history.
Other characters also color the landscape, but the bulk of the story is told through the eyes of the five main characters. This use of alternating point of view helps tell a fuller, more complete story, which is another of the book's strengths.
That being said, despite Nevin's grasp of historical facts and his ability to weave them into novel, there were times when I found the narrative dragging a bit. In a few places, I had to force myself not to skip a page or two. Outside the battle scenes, the story, at times, seemed to lose focus as Nevin introduced characters, details, and side stories that bore very little significance to the overall story arc: Dolley's efforts to decorate the new presidential mansion and the story of one of their household slaves turning himself over to the British in the hopes of gaining freedom. While these stories added color, they were superfluous to the overall plot and could have been left out without damaging the story.
One side note. For a book about the political and military struggles of a new democracy, there was an awful lot of attention paid to sex. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. In my experience, love and romance tend to take a backseat to military maneauvers and political machinations. But in the first 60 pages alone, sex and/or sexual arousal was mentioned a handful of times. Frankly, this tickled me, which is the only reason I even mention it. And Nevin gets points for using the word 'tumescent.' Apparently, it's more presidential than 'erect.'
First of all, it gets extra credit for dealing with the not-often-explored-in-fiction War of 1812. Wedged between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, this conflict - the young United States' second war with England - is often forgotten. However, it was a pivotal and important war from the standpoint that it showed the world once and for all that the new country was a burgeoning force to be reckoned with in world affairs and not just some snotty upstart that needed to be put in its place.
The strength of the book is its crisp writing and well-developed characters. Nevin has a knack for taking historical events and making them come alive and in my opinion, his very best ability is describing scenes of battle. Each pivotal battle of the war was described in gorgeous detail from the point of view of someone who was there on the front line as a participant. (There is one exception to this. The naval battle at Plattsburgh was described through the eyes of the a third party, Sally McQuirk, a feisty female newspaper reporter.) The cruelties and yes, even beauty, of battle was more than adequately described in Nevin's capable hands, at times making the reader feel like they were actually there. In those sections, Nevin's descriptive abilities definitely shine through the page.
He also does a great job of bringing historical figures to life. The book revolves primarily around five characters:
--James Madison. The fourth President of the United States is best known for his part in drafting both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. And what he lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in intellect, stubbornness, and patriotism. Refusing to back down in the face of strong opposition from all sides, he helps his young country stay the course while at the same time hiding a bone-deep weariness and deep desire to live out his life on his beloved farm, Montpelier. His feisty speeches and iron will, countered with his compassion and undiminished love for his wife make him a very endearing character.
--Dolley Madison. Long known as the beautiful young wife and consummate hostess, the Dolley in this book also has a sharp temper and quick wit that makes her seem less ethereal. She stands up for her husband with a fierce devotion while at the same time providing him with a safe place to let down his guard and be himself. And when the British sack the new capital at Washington, burning the White House to the ground, she bravely risks her life to save the country's legacy.
--Andrew Jackson. Strident and unbending, this Western militia general turned Hero of New Orleans demands respect from everyone - soldiers, citizens, and politicians alike. Possessing a dangerous and often violent temper, he nonetheless manages to use it to his own great advantage. A brilliant military mind with a peculiarly accurate intuition, he maintains single-minded focus on what he believes is his destiny: to become a prominent force in young nation's future by protecting its western interests. In this, he succeeds. His only weak spot and the only glimpse into his softer side involves his beloved wife, Rachel. Without her, he would have destroyed himself long ago. And without her, he would be a nearly unlikeable character.
--Rachel Jackson. Kind and pious and utterly devoted to her firebrand husband, she nonetheless possesses an iron core that allows her to endure his long and for her, nearly unbearable, absences. She's completely dependent on him for happiness, but has enough independence to keep their farm, The Hermitage, running while he's gone and to organize an 'army' of doctors and clergy to send to New Orleans to look after the needs of the army. She's stronger than she looks, though when she's finally reunited with Andrew at the end, you can't help but think she's better off by his side.
--Winfield Scott. Intelligent and handsome and an expert on military strategy, he begins the book as a Lieutenant. By the end, he's one of only five permanent Brigadier Generals in the US Army. And he's only 29 years old. He's highly ambitious and rather arrogant, but not unlikeably so. And he has the ability to back it up. Seeing the need for a trained army, he puts his skills to work to whip the northern army into a fighting force that becomes a formidable adversary for the professional British troops. Injured in battle, he nonetheless plays a critical role in the success of the US Army in the northern theater, thereby securing a place for himself in history.
Other characters also color the landscape, but the bulk of the story is told through the eyes of the five main characters. This use of alternating point of view helps tell a fuller, more complete story, which is another of the book's strengths.
That being said, despite Nevin's grasp of historical facts and his ability to weave them into novel, there were times when I found the narrative dragging a bit. In a few places, I had to force myself not to skip a page or two. Outside the battle scenes, the story, at times, seemed to lose focus as Nevin introduced characters, details, and side stories that bore very little significance to the overall story arc: Dolley's efforts to decorate the new presidential mansion and the story of one of their household slaves turning himself over to the British in the hopes of gaining freedom. While these stories added color, they were superfluous to the overall plot and could have been left out without damaging the story.
One side note. For a book about the political and military struggles of a new democracy, there was an awful lot of attention paid to sex. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. In my experience, love and romance tend to take a backseat to military maneauvers and political machinations. But in the first 60 pages alone, sex and/or sexual arousal was mentioned a handful of times. Frankly, this tickled me, which is the only reason I even mention it. And Nevin gets points for using the word 'tumescent.' Apparently, it's more presidential than 'erect.'
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