With the help of her best friend, kelly, george comes up with a plan. The novel tells the story of melissa, a middle school girl who is unable to be herself to the rest of the world. George s debut novel is a sentimental, lively, and sad family saga spanning four generations. The rest of the world sees melissa as george, a boy. Buy a good american by george, alex from amazons fiction books store. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. From bareknuckle prizefighting and prohibition to sweet barbershop harmonies, the kennedy assassination, and beyond, jamess family is caught up in the sweep of history. Eleanor brown, bestselling author of the weird sisters, interviews alex george about a good american. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. A good american was engaging and heartwarming with some surprising twists. Setting free the kites by alex george, paperback barnes. An attorney originally from england, firsttime novelist george offers a love song to his adopted state of missouri in this multigenerational saga of the meisenheimers from their. William henry harris and lomax are the only two african american characters in the book, and both are. A good american delightful epic, lyrical, compelling usa today plenty of storytelling charm new york times a nearperfect novel a good american is a story of immigrant hope set in a fictional midwestern town and spanning more than a century, the novel tells the story of three generations of the meisenheimer family.
Georges debut novel is a sentimental, lively, and sad family saga spanning four generations, from a couples flight out of germany in 1904 to. Reading a good american is a bit like reading what could be your very own familys history. He owns an independent bookshop, skylard bookshop, in columbia, missouri, and he is also the founder and director of the unbound book festival. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers.
His latest novel, a good american, was published by amy einhorn books, an imprint of penguinputnam, in february 2012. The author of setting free the kites and a good american, alex george is an englishman who lives, works, and writes in the middle of america. The author alex george is an immigrant, and he obviously has fallen in. Its where his german grandparents frederick and jette found themselves after journeying across the turbulent atlantic, fording the floodswollen mississippi, and being brought to a. A good american is one of the best generational stories i have ever read. He studied law at oxford university and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in more about alex george. Mar 20, 2018 novelist and unbound book festival founder and director alex george is adding another title to his list of accomplishments. He was born in england, but presently lives in the midwest of america. Alex george is an englishman who lives, works, and writes in the middle of america. John mandel, author of station eleven a library journal best book of the year. Alex george chronicles four generations of the meisenheimer family as they put down roots in americas heartland and live the quintessential immigrant experience. If you liked a good american by alex george, here are some books like this. Booksellers alex george s a good american is one of the most moving books ive read in decades.
Eleanor brown talks to alex george about his new novel a good. A native of england, alex george read law at oxford university and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in london and paris. His new novel, setting free the kites, was published by penguin in. An uplifting novel about the families we create and the places w. James is a great chronicler of his familys history, with the right amount of humor and compassion. Publication date 2012 topics social life and customs. Alex george is a writer, a bookseller, a director of a literary festival, and a lawyer. He has lived in the midwest of the united states for the last 16 years.
Parents are divided over a book in a popular student. This website uses cookies to improve functionality and performance. John mandel, author of station elevenan uplifting novel about the families we create and. May 08, 2018 the book george, a debut novel for readers between the ages of 8 and 12, has set off a storm within a popular student reading competition in oregon. George is a childrens novel about a young transgender girl written by american author alex gino. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a good american. A good american by alex george penguin random house audio. Author interview alex george, author of a good american. A good american by alex george reading guidebook club. A good american by alex george published by amy einhornputnam books, an imprint of penguin. Evocative and smartlypaced, driven by character and historicity, its a fantastic read. Alex is the author of the paris hours, a good american, and setting free the kites. Parents are divided over a book in a popular student reading. A good american tells of jettes dogged determination to feed a town sauerkraut and soul food.
Postponed alex george will be in conversation for his new. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. A good american by alex george this is the story of the meisenheimer family, told by james, a thirdgeneration american living in beatrice, missouri. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The largeboned jette is not a traditional beauty, though, and she has no particular interest in playing a society. Alex was named as one of britains top ten thirtysomething novelists by the times of london, and was also named as the independent on sundays face to watch for fiction in its fresh talent feature.
He is the founder and director of the unbound book festival, and is the owner of skylark bookshop, an independent bookstore in downtown columbia, missouri. Jettes mother is determined that her daughter will be the familys ticket into higher society, marrying up and bringing connections. We meet frederick and jette at the beginning of their love affair in the early 1900s and we follow their familys story through the present. Alex is the author of the paris hours, a good american. A beautifully written novel, laced with history and music. He studied law at oxford university and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in london and paris before moving to the united states in 2003. A native of england, alex george read law at oxford university and worked for 8 years as a corporate lawyer in london and paris. It was a national and international bestseller, and was a library journal best book of the year. He has lived in the midwest of the united states for the last sixteen years. Alex george has lived in columbia, mo, for the past nine years. The book begins in germany in 1904, when a young couple in love find themselves pregnant, unmarried and wanting to start a life together. When frederick and jette must flee her disapproving mother, where better to go than america, the land of the new.
The author of setting free the kites and a good american, alex george is an englishman who lives, works. Novelist alex george to open bookstore in columbia, mo. How does an englishman living in missouri come to write a book titled a good american. Eleanor brown, bestselling author of the weird sisters, interviews alex george about a good american eleanor brown. His novels include a good american, setting free the kites, and the paris hours. But the teacher says she cant even try out for the part because shes a boy. He loved its big open spaces, the sunsets that drenched the evening sky in blistering color. John mandel, author of station eleven this lush, epic tale of one familys journey from immigrants to good americans had me alternately laughing and crying, but always riveted. Alex george books list of books by author alex george.
Jan 12, 2020 a good american by alex george is a novel about family, love, talents, grief and a family finding its way in a new country. In a good american, george considers both questions with humor, compassion, and grace. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Mar 03, 2012 after just three pages, i knew i would love a good american by alex george. Americas most banned book, george, is about a trans girl. A good american by alex george book club discussion. A good american alex george, 2012 penguin group usa 400 pp. The fact that my family emigrated from europe only two generations ago may have touched an emotional button while absorbed in the compelling tale of two young lovers striking out for a strange land. So its true what they say about novelists and their highly. The paris hours is the kind of book that almost demands to be devoured.
A good american is narrated by frederick and jettes grandson, james, who, in telling his ancestors story, comes to realize he doesnt know his own story at all. Melissa uses the class play charlottes web to show her mom that she is a girl by switching roles with her best friend, and playing. In glittering 1927 paris, josephine baker dances with ernest hemingway, maurice ravel plays a lonely piano, and gertrude stein hosts her legendary salons. Georges debut novel is a sentimental, lively, and sad family saga spanning four generations.
We recommenda good american by alex george pcld blog. Click to read more about a good american by alex george. Born and raised in england, george moved to the states with his family in 2003 and worked as an attorney by day, and a writer by earlierintheday. Its where his german grandparents frederick and jette found themselves after journeying across the turbulent atlantic, fording the floodswollen mississippi, and being brought to a sudden halt by the. He was born in london, england, but presently lives in the american midwest. George really, really, really wants to play charlotte. After just three pages, i knew i would love a good american by alex george. His novel, a good american, was published by amy einhorn books, an imprint of penguinputnam, in february 2012.
The author of a good american, alex george is an englishman who lives, works, and writes in the middle of america. He studied law at oxford university and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in london and paris before moving to the united states. The author alex george is an immigrant, and he obviously has fallen in love with america. Book recommendations for people who like a good american by alex george. As george told me from his law office in columbia, immigration and closeharmony singingthose are the pillars on which the book was built.
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