Dianne (gardngal) reviewed on 4/22/2015 + 268 more book reviews

Leave it to Ken Follett to write 1100 pages of fiction and help a reader keep track of his many characters, their families, and the history they represent! I could easily relate to the period of time covered in this tome (1961-1989) because I lived through it as a child. I remember distinctly the tension and the terror of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr., the riots and turmoil of social upheaval on a global scale. Several families cross each others' paths repeatedly throughout, weaving the incidents together across the decades and across countries. I have to completely agree with Denise C. (dscrawford) who stated in her wonderful review that the sexual scenes could have been left out without harm to the overall book. I think Follett used them to show that these people were human and fallible, in spite of their high-powered jobs and their involvement with the highest powers of the world. As tense as the situations depicted were, it was nearly comedic relief to see another side of them for a short time. Cannot recommend this book highly enough! A great way to view the behind-the-scenes reality as it might have occurred. D.

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