Was a fantastic read as well as some history too
585939
Could not put the book down.  Was a fantastic read as well as some history too.
2427103
This was such an amazing read. Not only were the character building a house but they were also unknowingly building their family. The main characters connected instantly and I loved how they slowly build their relationship. The siblings were great secondary characters and I liked how they moved past their grief as a family. A really fantastic read. Highly recommended. I voluntarily received an arc of this book.
4498361
very  informative while providing historic background as well.
1167095
This book is a great story combining mystery and history. It's about a girl who lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate. My daughter who's 12 thought it was a wonderful story and read the entire thing in 2 days. The history combined with great story telling made for a wonderful read. She especially liked the way they kept everything realistic and magical. She said she will forever look at the Biltmore Estate as a much more magical place after reading this book. I would recommend it older children (maybe 7+) because it does have a few scary/suspenseful elements that might be a bit difficult for younger readers. Overall this is a great book, and my daughter absolutely loved it.
2457942
This was both a fun book and a full of history and perspective. The readers on this audio-- Abilene in particular--- added so much to the experience. I highly reacommend as an audio book.
It just amazed me how white people treated their maids, and how they did not realize they were wrong. It makes you wonder, 30 to 50 years from now, what will people say about us and our society?
A few things were a bit contrived-- I found Hilly to be such an evil queen bee that she couldn't be for real, and Skeeter such a goody goody and the only good white person on earth. But the book was so good I still give it five stars.
3064119
Excellent! Very exciting and also informative, revealing to us a very under-reported side of history. I hope he writes more like it, I couldn't put it down, and as soon as I finished it, I started reading it again from the beginning. Also read another novel of his, The Eighth Scroll, which is just as good. Both of them are thrilling and enjoyable besides being educational - a very rare combination in a work of fiction!
718633
This was a fantastic read, that has made me want to read Rebecca Dean's other books IMMEDIATELY!
I really enjoyed this unusual look at Wallis Simpson, and had no idea about her American background- this book was so interesting because it really only leads up to how she became Wallis Simpson, the woman Edward abdicated for, and the details about her past were just fascinating. I don't know how historically accurate it was, but I couldn't put it down once I started reading it, and Dean did a great job in making Wallis a character who was believable, complex, and even sympathetic.
3950099
This book was fantastic: thorough and a bit text-bookish but fast-paced and fascinating enough to be an enjoyable read. It portrays the stories of individuals who have played important roles in history and have in most cases, gone unnoticed. He also incorporates themes throughout the book and offers some new perspectives. The TV series that this book accompanies was great, but the book goes into more satisfying detail in an easily accessible way.

The author set off to complete a huge projecttracing the activities of a diverse group of people throughout a diverse landscape over hundreds of yearsand he did it well. Perhaps other authors have done more thorough work on specific people, locations, or themes, but for an overall guide to history, Gates really succeeds here.

I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing in order to  review it. I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone with a hunger for history. On a personal note, I have lived in Africa and parts of Latin America (as well as the United States) for many years and so the history and culture of African Americans has always been a real and important interest for me. I appreciate the thought and research that Mr. Gates has put into this book.
3857113
An amazing history that impacts, brought to live in an fantastic style of writing from the autor..
3886255
So well done! Really enjoyed and learned some things too! Inspiring history.
724597
This was a fantastic book.  The writing was incredible in terms of wording and phrasing, the characters had depth and believability, and the story was riveting.  The only thing that some people might find a little distracting was the alternating of characters and dates in each chapter, as well as super short chapters.  I still haven't decided whether that was a detriment or a positive.  It would definitely not keep me from reading the book in any case.
806150
Just loved visiting Paris again while reading this book and learning so much history about this dear city as well. A wonderful read that educated me while telling a beautiful story. Very well written and hard to put down.
1400562
I suppose knowing a lot of the places mentioned in this book helped bring it to life for me. I not only learned a lot but enjoyed reading this book as well.  I'd heard about this, growing up in central Illinois, but was fascinated to learn the details of the plot to steal Lincoln's body. I highly recommend a visit to Springfield, IL, if you are even remotely interested in Abraham Lincoln, to see ALL the Lincoln spots, but certainly to visit the tomb.  Read the book first, though . . .
3500580
This was a wonderful historical read.  Very true to events and people of the time. This book sets a great pace and does not have fluff chapters to show off a very in-depth knowledge of the time period. The beginning of the book has a "reference" section about the historical people listed.  It is hard to flip back and forth between that section and the reading section. It can be a little hard for people that are not familiar with items or terms of this time in history.  An English/French translation dictionary may be needed. The regular Kindle dictionary does have several of the French and antiquated words and terms used in the book.
801252
Overwhelmed at how this book grabs you right from the get-go and takes you through an engaging historical romp with interesting characters that make history come alive. The author captured a time period so well, with such color and vigor. While there were far too many names to keep track of, it didn't really matter - the story line moved quickly, there was always a surprise twist and it held my interest throughout. I had read a previous book by this author and enjoyed it as well but this one was just terrific.
4342786
What can I say about this story that hasn't already been said. A fantastic read. The way McDougall weaves history, anthropology, real time and some fantastic characters ranging from Scott Jurek to Barefoot Ted and Caballo Blanco Is astounding.
The spotlight on the Tarahumara and their culture was absolutely fascinating. I cannot understand how I, as a runner for the last 20 years did not encounter this book earlier. Maybe I read excerpts in Runners World ?
The creation of Leadville, the histories of Ann Trason and others is fascinating. This book covers a lot of bases and makes it all work together.
A tremendous and engaging read !
4735404
This book is fantastic and there will be more on the to read list from this author. It showed a great knowledge about the ways of life and social and spiritual challenges of the time. I could not put it down.