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    A Good American
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    A Good American
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    A Good American
    Audiobook11 hours

    A Good American

    Written by Alex George

    Narrated by Gibson Frazier

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    "A beautifully written novel, laced with history and music." -Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven

    An uplifting novel about the families we create and the places we call home.

    It is 1904. When Frederick and Jette must flee her disapproving mother, where better to go than America, the land of the new? Originally set to board a boat to New York, at the last minute, they take one destined for New Orleans instead ("What's the difference? They're both new"), and later find themselves, more by chance than by design, in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri. Not speaking a word of English, they embark on their new life together.

    Beatrice is populated with unforgettable characters: a jazz trumpeter from the Big Easy who cooks a mean gumbo, a teenage boy trapped in the body of a giant, a pretty schoolteacher who helps the young men in town learn about a lot more than just music, a minister who believes he has witnessed the Second Coming of Christ, and a malevolent, bicycle-riding dwarf.

    A Good American is narrated by Frederick and Jette's grandson, James, who, in telling his ancestors' story, comes to realize he doesn't know his own story at all. From bare-knuckle prizefighting and Prohibition to sweet barbershop harmonies, the Kennedy assassination, and beyond, James's family is caught up in the sweep of history. Each new generation discovers afresh what it means to be an American. And, in the process, Frederick and Jette's progeny sometimes discover more about themselves than they had bargained for.

    Poignant, funny, and heartbreaking, A Good American is a novel about being an outsider-in your country, in your hometown, and sometimes even in your own family. It is a universal story about our search for home.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 7, 2012
    ISBN9781101538401
    Unavailable
    A Good American
    Author

    Alex George

    A native of England, Alex George read law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He has lived in the Midwest of the United States for the last sixteen years. 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. Alex is the author of The Paris Hours, A Good American, and Setting Free the Kites.

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    Reviews for A Good American

    4/5

    176 ratings42 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book surprised me. It's wonderful as an audio book. Not sure if I would have enjoyed it as a printed book. It reads like a memoir even though it is fiction. Told by James, the story starts with his grandparents who come to America from Germany and end up in Beatrice, MO. I loved how the story covers three generations of a family and how things change in history and in the family. I don't care that there is almost no dialogue. I found this mesmerizing and so entertaining as I was driving to/from work. I'm so glad I listened to this book.
    • 4/5
      An interesting look at German immigrants to America. This family story reminded me of my grandmother, strong, healthy and willing to tackle the obstacles faced to create a future for her children.
    • 4/5
      A very well told story of a pair of immigrants who escape their old life in Europe to begin a new life in America. The story is told by James, their grandson as he himself reaches the golden years of his life. The story follows three generations in a small Missouri town, each with its own struggles and highlights. The timeline runs through many of the significant events of our nations history and Alex George does an excellent job telling how those events affected our nation and the people who lived though those times.

      I especially enjoyed the way the story is narrated by James as he is looks back at his family's story. It is as if I'm sitting down with my uncle or grandfather and listening them tell about the family while looking through a box pictures and clippings that have been gathered over the years. Like any family, there are some wonderful times and some tough times and some significant tragedies. He also learns that there are some dark secrets in his family and that his own life story may not be all that he thought it was.

      My one criticism of the book is that there are a couple places where the language gets rather coarse. Now, I'm not a prude, so it isn't the language itself that bothers me, but the problem I have is that it doesn't fit with the way the rest of the story is told. There are some very difficult subjects tackled in the story and they are told with a grace and gentleness that is a joy to read. Then there are a couple of places where the language simply clashes and it stood out rather obviously to me. I have a feeling that if the rest of the story wasn't done so well done that I wouldn't have even noticed the places that didn't fit.

      I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or simply a story well told.

      This is First-Reads review of an ARC.
    • 4/5
      As a granddaughter of German immigrants to Missouri, I was drawn to this book based on the book flap. Must admit, the cover of a woman's hands and red suitcase on the front didn't particularly excite me. I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't totally drawn into the book either.I felt the beginning was very strong; I liked the characters of Jette and Frederick. Their trip to the United States from Germany did seem rather glossed over, but yet it held my attention. (If those hands on the front of the book are to be Jette's, they are much too delicate.) Their landing in Beatrice, Missouri also seemed believable. From then on, however, there were events that really were a stretch. First, the fact that Lomax, a black man they met in New Orleans, shows up in Beatrice seems too much of a coincidence. Then there is little indication of any racial tension in the town of Beatrice until Lomax is lynched. Then there is that section of the boy who continues to grow into a giant and a dwarf attorney, both residents of this small town. I did some eye-rolling during this middle part of the book. Yet, as I continued, I liked the tying up of the family characters and did appreciate the plot twist at the end.I would certainly read this author again as I do believe this in an interesting and rather charming first novel. Hopefully, he will be able to tie plot lines together a bit tighter and leave out the "unusual" characters.
    • 3/5
      Started slowly but built to a nice pace in the latter half. An interesting inspection of what it was like to be newly-arrived in the land of opportunity.
    • 3/5
      The story of an immigrant family as they travel from Germany to America. Their adjustment to American life and the children they raise. It is a multigenerational story of the American dream and everyday life that comes in their way. I like this book because the author tells the story through James the third-generation American living in Beatrice, Missouri.
    • 4/5
      This novel is a multi-generational story that begins with a pair of German immigrants who leave Germany under some unusual circumstances. The reader follows the family until modern times, starting before 1900. The writing is realistic; things happen to this family that happen to all families. There is happiness, sadness, and humor, place in the book where the sadness is very real, and places where I wanted to laugh out loud. I enjoy books like this, so I found this a good read.
    • 4/5
      This was one of the books for my book club, and I'm really glad I read it. Story of how young couple moved to the US from Germany in the early 1900s and the family they raised here. Loved the Character development. I especially loved that it was not predictable.
    • 4/5
      I received this audiobook for review, and even though I was unfamiliar with the title, I was eager to try out a new historical fiction. Of course now I’m seeing this book advertised everywhere. A Good American is an entertaining read about the Meisenheimer family and their ups and downs across generations. The book takes on the idea of what it means to be an American through the immigrant family’s example. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked on the story and I finished the audio in no time.

      The saga begins in 1904 when Frederick and Jette Meisenheimer fall in love in Hanover, Germany. When Jette becomes pregnant it shames her mother, and the couple hastily leaves for America. They finally settle in Beatrice, Missouri, home to other German immigrants, with their new son Joseph. There’s a language, cultural and financial barrier to overcome, as well as the stress of being new parents. Frederick and Jette are challenged to build a new life in America from scratch for their family. The couple’s grandson, James, narrates their tale.

      Though times change throughout the book, one thing that is consistent is that food and music are always present in the Meisenheimer’s lives. The tradition starts with gifted singer Frederick, and the talent is passed down all the way to their grandsons. The family also appreciates all kinds of music and at the different incarnations of their family-run dining establishment you can see the styles of music as well as menu options change with the times.

      Each generation of the family has an interesting story to tell. And even though I would get attached to the story I was listening to, I was quickly caught up in the next generation’s journey. In addition to the Meisenheimer family, there are an entertaining cast of side characters woven into the story. Humor also keeps the book from ever becoming too heavy. Though the book loses a little steam for me towards the end, there’s an interesting twist that pulled me back in.

      Gibson Frazier narrates the audio, and his storytelling abilities complement the book well. His reading drew me into the story, and he conveys the appropriate emotion and energy throughout. He uses different dialects for the characters but it is not overdone. I’m sure the book is great too, but I’m glad that I got the chance to listen to the audio. I started in on a new audio right after but found myself missing listening to A Good American.

      I think this book will appeal to those that enjoy historical fiction, or books like Water for Elephants or The Help. It’s a really interesting look at American history as well as a wonderful family drama, and it would make an excellent book club choice.
    • 5/5
      This book is one of my favorite kinds to read; it spans over an almost 100 year period, following an American family that began with the immigration of a young couple, Frederick and Jette, from Germany. It tells an absolutely beautiful story of them and the generations that followed. A lovely, sweeping family epic that I would read again. Funny, tragic, uplifting, hopeful, sweet, sad. One of the best I've read this year.
    • 4/5
      This book surprised me. A very enjoyable read, humorous, touching. Mr. George has really captured Midwestern charms.
    • 3/5
      The title of Alex George's book invokes the goal of many immigrants to America, both past,as in this saga, and present. What makes a good American is that desire to blend into the newly chosen community and then create a life that makes each succeeding generation feel and grow more successful in their desire to be a "good American". Every family has a back story, with unusual characters, black sheep members, and strange family stories. This book offers all of this and more. Leaving Germany in the early twentieth century wave of European immigration is sparked by an unlikely pair who found themselves expecting a child before the wedding took place. With disapproving parents behind them they decide where else can one get a fresh start in life but on the golden streets of America. Somehow they survive a landing in New Orleans, a difficult trek north, ending in the birth of their child in Beatrice, Missouri. As in all serendipitous ventures, this town becomes home for the next 3 generations. The oddities of the town characters and the prevailing theme of music drives the narrative forward, with many twists and turns along the way. The tale keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next, as we watch one family struggle to attain there place in America.
    • 4/5
      Despite the early parts of this book being somewhat pedestrian, the clever plotting, poignant writing, and a few quite funny descriptions which one encounters upon continuing to read, accumulate to make this, in the end, a very entertaining novel. The story extends from 1904 nearly to the present. A few small slips reveal the author's somewhat weak understanding of America in earlier decades. In particular, he fails to comprehend the more subtle details of relations between rural Missouri's three major ethnic groups, Anglos, Germans, and African Americans in the decades before the 1964 Civil Rights Act became law.Yet, everything considered, it is remarkable that the author, who came to Missouri from Britain only a decade ago, was able to get so close to the truth of the region in which he now lives and to do so in such an entertaining way.
    • 4/5
      Recommended to those who enjoy family sagas. This first effort follows a German immigrant family over the. Use of roughly 100 years from Hanover, Germany to Beatrice, Missouri. Along the way are poignant and humorous set pieces. I particularly enjoyed a four part rendition of "Amazing Grace" and a local pastor's mistaken belief he has witnessed the Second Coming. Some of the characters are more finely rendered and interesting than others. The ending does carry a surprise which had me immediately going back to read certain portions again to see how I'd missed it.
    • 4/5
      3-1/2 StarsI wavered between rating this one 3-1/2 or 4 stars. Probably would have given it 4 stars if I could have connected with the characters more. I did enjoy the book and liked most of the characters.... I just couldn't get emotionally connected to any of the characters. It was a wonderful family saga and was well worth reading.
    • 3/5
      I finished "A Good American", but I neither loved it nor even liked it very much. On the bright side, I enjoyed the story's hopeful tone. I found the story compelling and occasionally surprising (in an interesting way). That said, the prose is, well, wooden and prosaic. The narrator's voice lacks authenticity and passion. Why does he choose to talk about his father in the third person and call him by his first name rather than as "Dad"? How many Americans would say "randy" in place of "horny"? In addition to not speaking in an authentic voice, the author also chokes his narrative with scores of tiny set pieces which send the narrative in weird directions. The book is filled with goofy vignettes which, I suppose, the author figured that readers would find funny or charming; for example the back-to-back funerals of a dwarf and a giant, and a minister's witness to Christ's resurrection on the Missouri. Now it is certainly possible to write a great book composed of short, perceptive vignettes -- see, for instance, the brilliant "Mr. Bridge" and "Mrs. Bridge" by Evan Connell -- but this novel fell well short of that mark. Instead, at least for me, these episodes stitched the story together in a haphazard way that prevented me from feeling invested and interested in the characters and the challenges they faced. In the end, I never felt that I got into the heads of any of the main characters, or really got to know them -- which is what draws me to pick up this kind of book in the first place. The book was like reading an in-depth project proposal for a made-for-TV movie.
    • 5/5
      When I received a copy of "A Good American" by Alex George, I was surprised to find a musical instrument and musical notes on it's cover. I found the cover to be rather beautiful, but was confused as to why or how music ties into the story of a family. Then I read the book, and I realized what a pivotal role music plays in the lives of the people of one particular immigrant family. However, what I really realized after finishing this novel, is that I will forever remember this book as being one of the most "lyrical" and eloquent gems I've ever come across, in the literary world.Filled with emotion, drama, warmth, compassion, and extraordinary detail - this novel is sure to amaze you in every sense of the word. The author, with his lyrical and lush prose, takes us on a journey with a couple who migrate from Germany in order to start their family, and onwards with the many other members of the same family, as they grow, assimilate to the culture of their new home, and slowly transform, each following his own dreams and aspirations, to become "a good American". Incredibly poignant, tremendously joyous, full of grace and poetry, filled with humor and sadness, love and heartbreak - this novel is sure to take your breath away. It is an absolute shocker that this is Alex George's first novel, for it does not read like a debut novel at all. Historical fiction, and a family drama, this wonderful story will transport you into an enigmatic, and endearing, world. A MUST READ!!!
    • 4/5
      Wonderfully written. A story that takes you on the adventure of the excitement of hopes and dreams, the sorrow and heartbreak of loss, the love and wonderment of life, as well as the pride, courage and faith within. Journey through generations of a family, each with a vast array of aspirations and hope and life lived. The experiences and decisions of one shaping the future of the next generation assuring that no matter how spread out or how dramtically different life may be, the future is always connected to the past.
    • 4/5
      Frederick and Jette Meisenheimer board a ship from Germany to America one day in 1904. They are escaping Jette’s family who do not approve of the couple marrying, and they are moving toward a new life on the other side of the world. By chance, they end up docking in New Orleans, and then fate brings them to the small town of Beatrice, Missouri where they settle down to raise their family. For Frederick, America is a land of dreams and opportunity and he soon opens his own restaurant. Jette mourns the loss of her home in Germany and struggles to adjust to her new country. As the years pass, children are born, grow up and start families of their own. Loved ones die and life goes on through the tumultuous years of WWI, Prohibition, WWII, the Great Depression, and even the assassination of JFK. Narrated by James Meisenheimer, the grandson of Jette and Frederick, A Good American reveals the evolution of one immigrant family over a span of one hundred years.Alex George’s debut novel introduces readers to a charming cast of characters: a music teacher with an eye for young boys, a terrifying dwarf lawyer, a black musician from New Orleans who comes to Beatrice looking for work and then stays, an Evangelical minister who believes a young boy is the second coming of Christ, and a town hero who won’t stop growing. At its core, A Good American is about the ties which bind families together within the bigger context of a community.Music plays a large role in the Meisenheimer family from page one when Frederick serenades Jette to win her heart, and later Frederick’s son, Joseph (whose voice is silenced by the fear of performing in public), creates a one-family musical group with his quartet of sons. The jazz age comes to Beatrice with Lomax, a gregarious and big-hearted black man who wins over the Meisenheimers with his kindness.Amy Einhorn Books is known for its heartwarming novels filled with somewhat quirky characters, and George’s story fits comfortably next to books such as The Weird Sisters and The Postmistress. Along with a great cast of characters, the novel is a poignant and funny travel through history on the coattails of one family. A Good American strikes that difficult balance between humor and sadness, reality and imagination.Towards the end of the novel, there is an interesting plot twist when James uncovers a well-kept family secret that stuns him and has him questioning all he thinks he knows about his family. It is a revelation which helps define the central theme of the novel: how do we define family, and how does our family shape who we become?Alex George has written a sentimental and refreshing first novel which will appeal to readers who love historical fiction and family sagas. This is a universal novel about what it means to part of a community and family. Get ready to be swept into a story which is truly a delight.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Engaging multi-generational story starting with the German immigrants to America. Grandson tells the family story. So many times it is spur of the moment decisions or mere happenstance that changes the direction of characters' lives. In the midst of the political debate over immigration, this tale is an excellent reminder that America is a nation of immigrants.
    • 4/5
      What a wonderful book! Immigrating from Germany Jette and Frederick make it as far as Beatrice, Missouri and there they set down roots. Frederick loves America and everything in and about it, Jette misses her home in Germany. This is a generational novel, filled with wonderful characters and narrated by a grandson. Continuing threads are a bar, that changes as the times dictate, a love of music from opera to barbershop quartet and a love of chess. The author seamlessly traverses all the great moments in history from World War I to prohibition by allowing the reader to follow this family through all these trials, their sadnesses and losses , their victories and joys. We are left with a book that captures the immigrant experience in wonderful detail and brilliant descriptions.
    • 4/5
      I am such a fan of historical fiction so I can be a bit picky. I enjoyed most of this tale of lover's who immigrate from Germany to build their life together, however there where areas in the middle when the story would drag a little. I found although the drama seemed to be a bit much I was able to remain interested so I noticed it but wasn't annoyed enough by it to drop it down to three stars. A good read.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful surprise! I received this in audio for review and knew little about the book other than it was historical fiction. As I began listening I was immediately swept away into the saga of the Meisenheimer family.The story opens in 1905, Germany. Frederick serenades Jette with beautiful opera songs and eventually wins her heart. But Jette’s mother does not approve of Frederick and when Jette becomes pregnant, the only real option available to the two young lovers that will allow them to stay together is to leave for America. They book passage on the first available ship, marry on the journey and eventually arrive in New Orleans. Finding it difficult to fit in and not understanding the language, they continue traveling and when they reach Beatrice, Missouri, they find other German immigrants and settle there. Frederick takes a job at a local bar and eventually buys the establishment.Music, food and family are themes that runs throughout this amazing story. While much of the novel is upbeat there is also sadness, tragedy and secrets. The writing is rich, the characters are vivid and I was carried away with their tale. Never boring and rarely predictable, the story takes turns I wasn’t expecting, and kept me engrossed.The entire novel is told from the point of view of one narrator, Fredericks’s grandson, James. Many of us can relate to being the grandchildren of immigrants. My grandparents came to America in the early 1900s to escape the aftermath of a Europe devastated by World War I, seeking employment and a better life for their future children. But I know little of their story, and while I was listening to this book I kept thinking how I wished someone in my family had written some of it down for, sadly, it is now lost in time.The audio was a pleasure to listen to. Gibson Frazier’s narration was superb and his storytelling had a perfect rhythm and just the right amount of emotion and inflection. I highly recommend this to readers who want to try an audiobook for the first time as single narrator makes it an excellent choice to become familiar with the audiobook format. And I’m sure it’s wonderful in print, too.
    • 5/5
      At the dawn of the 20th century, larger-than-life Frederick and Jette come to American from their homeland of Germany under less than ideal circumstances but full of love for one another. They build their family and their lives in this new corner of the world, and their story, with all its ups and downs, is eventually told by their grandchild.Okay, I know, rich, evocative family sagas are a dime a dozen, but I'm still a sucker for them. I loved reading every word of this one. The characters were interesting, multidimensional, easy to take to heart. One character whom I was afraid was going to be just a caricature was much deeper than that, although I would have liked to have known more about him. The storyline was engaging. But best of all, the prose was beautiful. I delighted in the turns of phrase, of the images conjured, of the metaphors that were lovely but not over the top. My only quibble with this novel is that there was too much foreshadowing for my taste, but that is a relatively minor quibble. Still, this is a book that I so much enjoyed reading that I didn't want it to end.I was given a copy for review by the publisher through LibraryThing, for which I am very grateful.
    • 4/5
      Overall I liked this book. The book told the story of the Frederick and Jette who immigrated to America from Germany to escape Jette's family who did not approve of Frederick. I enjoyed the beginning of this book but somewhere in the middle it became a chore to read but picked up considerably. There is a little bit of a mystery to this book which isn't to difficult to pick up on but is surprising.
    • 4/5
      I am a granddaughter of Italian immigrants to the United States and find myself drawn to tales of the “immigrant experience.” I was pleased to be a recipient of an advanced reader copy” of A Good American. This multigenerational tale documents the lives and experiences of Frederick and Jette Meisenheimer and their descendants as they travel from their home in Hanover, Germany to the small town of Beatrice, MO in the early 1900’s and create their home and family. The narrator of the story is their grandson, James. Beatrice was not their intended destination when they set out but through a series of events and circumstances becomes their home.The common threads of the immigrant story are present but with a flavor that was unique to me. They want a better life than what they left. They have a spirit of perseverance that serves them well. They want to be accepted and earn their place as “good Americans.” They experience some hardship and discrimination, some tragedy and accomplishment. What was different for me is that while the Italian immigrants tended to make their way to a community of fellow immigrants from their place of origin and be immersed in an Italian community that shared the experience, the Mesenheimers were virtually alone and it was their independent spirit that served them well.In addition to the personal saga of the family, this is a historical novel that takes us through the spirit of growth and settlement in Missouri, the world wars, the time of prohibition. Throughout, the events are tied together by music and the family’s love of opera.I found the story compelling and some of the characters were especially appealing to me. The writing held my interest but the Mesenheimer’s story did not resonate with me as much as other novels with a similar theme.
    • 5/5
      This multi-generational immigrant story tells the complicated and enduring tale of one family's life and loves. After Frederick and Jette flee Hanover to start a new life, they end up in the small town of Beatrice, Missouri not because of any plan but rather because of a series of small choices that end up having a lasting impact. The story of their love, the family they create, and the subsequent generations is tied together by music; from opera to jazz to barbershop quartets, music is the constant thread that binds this family (and this story) together. The characters are real and leap off the page, and the writing has a quiet beauty that pulls you into this novel. There are times when I laughed, and times when I cried, but never a time when I wanted to put this book down.Highly recommended!
    • 3/5
      This book tells the story of the Meisenheimer family and their immigration to America in the early 20th century, through the generations that follow, to present day. The author speaks through James, the grandson of Jette and Frederick Meisenheimer. The story-telling is good, but I felt the characters lacked depth. The earliest and latest years were the most engaging parts of the book. Many of the story lines were quite humorous.
    • 4/5
      I have to say I really enjoyed this book. There were great characters and great character diversity. The sub-stories about these characters were as interesting as the tale about Jette and her family. I liked the way the story was told as if we were sitting in the narrators livingroom. The Meisenheimer family, the town of Beatrice all converge on hard times and good times. It is great to see the family grow along with the town. I like the fact that Jette and Frederick settled in a small town versus a large city. It gives a different spin on the immigrant to America storyline. I would love to suggest this book for our next bookclub, but unfortunately we only read paperbacks. I look forward to it's release in paper so we can read and discuss the characters of this novel.
    • 4/5
      Much to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed this foreigner-turned-American tale despite some glaring flaws in the writing. A German man and his girlfriend (soon to be wife) travel to New Orleans to escape her parent's wrath; they end up in Missouri, an unusual place for a tale of this nature. The story goes on to detail the family's plight in America, and at times the tragedies begin to pile up. George has an annoying habit of ending every chapter and sub-chapter with a pithy "dramatic" sentence. Aside from that, I enjoyed the classic immigrant tale from the German point of view.