Mary Helmen

This started out to be a good novel then deteriorated into a wordy, meandering, jumping from generation to generation, nauseatingly whining rant about rich white people are evil oppressors of Jews and Blacks. So sick of apologizing for being white. Her portrayal of how men speak to each other regarding life, music, class status, position, politics, business was laughable. So many of the family members introduced in the book had nothing to do with the story, like all those cousins at the end of the novel meeting for the first time in the attorney’s office, shallow caricatures to fill page space. Even worse is much of the cast of characters had the same name. I can understand families carrying on tradition, Ogden Moss, Moss Jr, Evie, Evie Jr, Joan, Joan Jr, but for pity’s sake is was so confusing to have a Jewish female resistance fighter have the name Evelyn. I was so glad the book ended with nothing being said