I just finished this book, and boy is it good on so many levels. It was written by Belva Plain, and was published in 1978. I bought it at St. Vinnie's but I am pretty sure you can still check it out at the library. I am definitely keeping my eyes open for Belva Plain books now.
The story is about Anna, Joseph, and their family. It is also a really good book regarding the history of America from prior to WWI all the way into the 1970's. There are undercurrents of lost love and infidelity; being Jewish in America and the prejudices that went along with that; the atrocities of war; the intricacies of family relationships, and above all: putting the family unit first. A bit of the beauty of old houses is thrown in for good measure.
This book is meaty and long. 588 pages long. It took me a couple of weeks to finish it, and I worked on it everyday. I always looked forward to picking it up again and wondered how everybody was doing when I was doing other things. To me, that is the sign of a great book. I really enjoyed it.
The history part of it is so important too. It helps to explain why people loved America so much, and how an immigrant could arrive by boat without even a penny and eventually build an empire. Back in the old days. Then, something like the great depression could level the country and break nearly everybody, but some folks were able to rebuild and regain again. I guess in one way, Evergreen is about the American Dream and how a free and capitalistic society does offer opportunity to the individuals within.
So, anyway, I do recommend this book if you enjoy books like this. It is well worth the time you put into reading it.
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!
~ Kathy
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