What readers think of A Good American, plus links to write your own review.

A Good American by Alex George was a "good read." It grabbed and held my attention from the very beginning. I felt that the characters were very well drawn, the family story lines were very well developed and consistent; everything was entirely believable, starting with the reasons for leaving Europe, why Frederick and Jette settled where they settled, and how family fortunes evolved. This book would make an excellent mini-series, along the lines of Roots or the Lonesome Dove mini-series. All of the characters were "real people" complete with flaws, inabilities to communicate, misunderstandings. The few "bad seeds" were almost horrific when the story unfolded and all questions were answered. This book is easy to read, not requiring more than a basic background knowledge in American or world history. I throroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

I really enjoy a good historical novel in the mix with my mysteries. This one was perfect, I could hardly put it down. I was a little nervous at first because it did not grip me until the 2nd or 3rd chapter, but then it had me. The characters were believable and interesting and blended well.

I have recommended this book for my book club for later in the year because there are many topic for conversation. Excellent book!

"A Good American" grabs your attention in the first chapter and doesn't let go... if you like stories about families, this is for you. I enjoyed the author's story-telling ability and his use of rich language to describe the relationship between the many characters.

I absolutely loved this book; an exceptional debut novel. The tempo starts out slowly, and quickly accelerates as the novel progresses. The characters were well-developed and I felt a true sense of loss when I read the last page. I look forward to a follow-up novel.

This book would work well for book clubs, with its many themes to explore: post-war Europe, marital relationships, familial relationships, race, religion, small-town living.

This is a wonderful book. The prose is beautiful and flowing, the characters are real and interesting. I tabbed several passages because they are memorable. Usually I do not read a book twice, but I am in the process of doing that now. It seemed too abrupt to leave the story. I need more time to savor.

I really loved reading this book. The theme that really called to me was the joy, comfort and fellowship the generations of the family recieved from music. I have always depended on the happiness that music can bring to the soul. It was a thrill to have that feeling expressed in a novel.

How delightful to have the feelings of patriotism described and expressed in a modern novel. My wish would be for everyone to read and feel this love of the USA.

The story line was somewhat like a soap or even reality TV. However, the underlying themes of the plot line were inspiring.

One of the best generational stories I have ever read. The author, Alex George, is himself an immigrant and he obviously has fallen in love with America. His understanding of the challenges and opportunities experienced by our ancestors upon entry into the United States is evident.
This novel presents the reader with a wide range of emotional highs and lows, joys and tragedies, and examples of good behavior and dastardly acts. It also illustrates how those who work hard are rewarded but also, in the concluding pages; a surprise is revealed about how one character has used crime, deceit and abandonment to create his fortune.
In the Author’s Note, Mr. George tells us why he likes America and in turn caused me to reflect on what I have often taken for granted about how lucky we are that our ancestors chose to be Americans.

This was an interesting 3 generation family saga story taking place mainly in Missouri. It held my attention all the way through with good characters and a story line that had several twists and turns. The author has a smooth easy style of writing which makes it fun to read. There is one especially witty dialogue between two characters who are carrying on a conversation but each one is talking about something else that the other is not aware of. I would highly recommend this as a very enjoyable book to read.