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City of Dreams A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan Beverly Swerling 9780684871738 Books

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City of Dreams A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan Beverly Swerling 9780684871738 Books

As I have stated before Beverly Swerling is one of the most gifted authors around. This was one of the first books I read by her and I was totally enraptured. If you read none of her other books, please check this one out. This is a big saga of the tapestry of early American society. You will be pulled into the book and characters so much so that it will be hard to put it down. Indians, uprisings, executions, and so much more. I think that once you are captured with this writer you will find yourself compelled to read more of her works. I have them all City of Dreams, City of Glory, City of God all regarding how New York came about. Originally New Amsterdam and very Dutch to the New York we came to know. Great history with fiction thrown in. Get settled in for a great read.


Tags : City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan [Beverly Swerling] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In 1661, Lucas Turner, a barber surgeon, and his sister, Sally, an apothecary, stagger off a small wooden ship after eleven weeks at sea. Bound to each other by blood and necessity,Beverly Swerling,City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan,Simon & Schuster,0684871734,Historical - General,Sagas,FICTION General,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Sagas,Fiction,Fiction - General,FictionHistorical - General,GENERAL,General Adult,historical fiction; city of dreams; historical fiction books; best historical fiction; saga; series; colonial America; bestselling books

City of Dreams A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan Beverly Swerling 9780684871738 Books Reviews

A fun read with far too much explicit sexual content. I have faced the same criticism for far less, but in this book it was gratuitous and unnecessary. The quality of writing, description and detail is exceptional, and I applaud the author's bringing to life she's long past. Had she stopped with the seeds of the revolution sown it would have been preferable to the fast gloss of trying to include such a momentous change in global history in such a short space. Right up until that point, a fun and rewarding read and a hearty well done!
The story starts with two characters, Lucas and his sister Sally, in the very beginnings of New Amsterdam(later to be named New York, after the British King "gifts" the city to his brother, the Duke of York, despite it being a Dutch possession). Lucas is a surgeon, and Sally an apothecary. The book follows the two characters family lines for several generations, watching the city develop around them, and following the development of medicine in the city/times as well. I really enjoyed the book, loved a lot of the characters and watching both the city, and medicine, develop was fascinating. My only complaint (which is a common one when a book tries to follow such a long timeline, much like the characters in Edward Rutherford books) is that you get attached to characters, and yet their storylines can be shorter than you like because it's time to move on to the next generation in the story
I am looking forward to pursuing the next book. I enjoyed almost every minute of the grand, meandering epic of a book. As a physician, I especially enjoyed the focus of the central family as barber surgeons, and the transition (really slowly and painfully) to the more modern construct. I didn't mind the brutality of the surgeries or medical practices within the pages. As Bones says in Star Trek IV, "What is this, the Dark Ages?" The future is bound to look on our contemporary practices as barbaric.
I found this a true page turner, and enjoyed the rapid pace, short chapters, and occasional refresher paragraph from the author.
I will forgive her the occasional name-dropping and cameos from famous persons, occasional lines that sound like the horrible utterance by Mel Gibson in "The Patriot" "I hate taxation without representation as much as the next man."
Like similarly dramatic and broad viewed epics like "Les Miserables," this book sheds light on the painful lessons that accompany fundamental change in a people, all the frustration, elation, horror, and misery. Amazing storytelling.
I've taken the time lately to read novels on my waiting to be read piles. This is a GEM! I love stories that span generations. This one has enough adventure, dynamic characters, and an ever-changing plot loaded with suspense. Some parts pack a punch on the gut but that was the times in the 1600s. Every span of society, from free men and women to slaves to Indians was included and obviously the issues were well-researched. Life was very tough, cruel, blessed and so much more. Some very dark characters live herein who you won't forget for a long time!
Overall, a great read!
First of all, if you have a weak stomach, I suggest not reading this book. The story's main focus is on primitive surgery, with no anesthetic & it's extremely graphic. And the fact that a lot of the procedures were taken from actual doctor's journals, makes it that much more realistic. There were times when I had to put the book down & get some fresh air & never thought I was that squeamish. I think it takes very good writing to have that kind of effect on a person. Aside from that, I learned a lot about early America & all the terrible trials they had to go through & how far we've all come. It made me feel lucky to live in modern times & realize how much better we have it now. A very, very good book!
I'll be honest, I usually make it a point to finish books even if I'm not into them, but I could not finish this one. I got half way through and felt like it was such a slog, so I had to stop. Don't get me wrong, I am not intimidated by long books (GRRM and Diana Gabaldon are my favorite writers!) I even really enjoyed Beverly Swerling's Shadowbook. But I could not, no matter how much I tried, get into City of Dreams.
I felt like I never really got to deeply know any of the characters, and nearly all of them were unlikable with the exception of maybe one or two. As soon as I felt like I was starting to get into a narrative or somewhat understanding a character, the time period would change and I'd have to start all over again to get myself in the proper head space. Unfortunately, this book is like driving a car that keeps stalling.
As I have stated before Beverly Swerling is one of the most gifted authors around. This was one of the first books I read by her and I was totally enraptured. If you read none of her other books, please check this one out. This is a big saga of the tapestry of early American society. You will be pulled into the book and characters so much so that it will be hard to put it down. Indians, uprisings, executions, and so much more. I think that once you are captured with this writer you will find yourself compelled to read more of her works. I have them all City of Dreams, City of Glory, City of God all regarding how New York came about. Originally New Amsterdam and very Dutch to the New York we came to know. Great history with fiction thrown in. Get settled in for a great read.