Small World by Jonathan Evison

Covering thousands of miles and time this historical masterpiece is a journey. A set of orphaned twins, a slave yearning for freedom and family, an indigenous woman looking for open space and a Chinese gold miner ashamed of his good fortune - all journeys leading westward looking for the promised land. The other voices are those of their descendants also on a journey and the fateful train ride that brought them together. It is a glorious look at the melting pot of America - the good, the bad, the ugly and the generous spirit that kept them moving one foot after the other. Jonathan Evison calls to the adventurous spirit in all of us using fully crafted characters so we feel all the hardships and joys they endured. This is the history of the westward expansion told as complete as James Michener's CENTENNIAL, John Steinbeck's EAST OF EDEN, Jamie Ford's LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES and Maggie Shipstead's GREAT CIRCLE.  5 stars