Review of Chesapeake, by James Michener

Chesapeake is the story of the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay as seen through several families that lived there. It begins with a Choptank Indian before white men came to America and progresses through the history of a few families from Europe that settled the area. It tells how these people and their descendants lived through most of the major historical events of the early United States. These include the first pilgrim arrivals, the wars with the Indians, the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I and II, clear through the Watergate scandal. Interwoven into the history are descriptions of life on the Eastern Shore including plantation life, slavery, as well as the wildlife of the area like Canadian geese, crabs, and oysters.

Opinion
If you like U.S. history, you'll love this book. I personally don't get into history very much and I still liked the book. It is a history lesson cleverly disguised as a novel. Having lived in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia for a while, I can say that the descriptions of the country, wildlife, and lifestyles of the people are very accurate. Except for a few cameo appearances from a few real historical figures, all of the characters were fictional, yet very realistic. Michener does an excellent job of teaching about the area, its inhabitants, and its history while telling an entertaining story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in US history or the Chesapeake Bay area. The only downside to the book is that it is quite lengthy and may seem slow-moving. But the things taught in the book make it well worth enduring through the slower parts.

My grade: A