Small World, by Jonathan Evison (2022)
This novel starts out with a train crash in the winter somewhere in Oregon en route to Seattle. Walter Bergen is on his final run as engineer before his retirement. After the crash, we meet several of the passengers, who come from all walks of life and backgrounds. Not only do we meet them, but we are introduced to their ancestors and their struggles to make a life in America.
The novel switches from the present day to the 1850s where we learn of the immigrant experience of several families. Walter Bergen descended from an Irish family who fled Ireland during the potato famine. There is Jenny Chen, whose ancestor Wu Chen, came from China in the 1850s and began life in California panning for gold. He acquired a small stash of gold, which he turned into thriving grocery business. Malik Flowers is a young basketball with dreams of being drafted by the NBA. He is descended from a run-away slave. Laila, whose ancestors were Native Americans, hopped on the train to escape from an abusive husband.
I enjoyed reading about the backgrounds of all of these characters.
Read: September 13, 2023
4 Stars
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