Back Bay by William Martin
Back Bay by William Martin
Mass Market 532 pages
published by Warner Books in 1992
ISBN-13: 9780446363167
Type: {Beach Read: fluffy, mindless, easy to read}
Rating: {Eh: Not my favorite, but fine enough to finish the book}
Why You’re Reading It:
- You like US History
- You’re a fan of New England settings
- William Martin is an author you already enjoy
What I Thought:
I luuurrrvvvv US History. I used to teach it to middle schoolers actually, and it was very, very fun (for me). One of my favorite periods is Colonial New England through Revolutionary times. So, when I saw this book on the shelf at RiverRun Bookstore in New Hampshire I figured how much better could it get? A New England, historical chunker bought in New England! Well, not so much. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining. However, what I thought was going to be an historical epic was more like an historical beach read. With a very unsatisfying ending. It did keep me reading, and I will possibly pick up another of Martin’s books (again, I’m a sucker for the places he sets his books in), but this won’t be high on my list of recommendations.
The narrative goes back and forth from present day to the past. It follows the Pratt clan (a fictional New ENgland family on par with the Kennedys) through six generations. The premise of the book is to find out what happened to a tea set made by Paul Revere that was stolen for the patriarch of the Pratt clan. We know what happened to it in the 1700′s, but after that it’s a race to find out. Only, I didn’t feel that intrigued and it wasn’t so much of a race as a saunter through 532 pages with a “what?! That’s it?” kind of conclusion.
So, if you want something a bit brainless for the beach and you only want to pack one book… you can think about this one. It will last you your whole vacation, partly because it’s long and partly because it’s not very gripping. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
