This is a love story of great beauty and great tenderness, the kind of love story that entangles the listener in the lives of the characters, so that after the story is over, one continues to live with those characters. And fortunately, the listener will not have to say farewell to these characters. The Immigrants is complete in itself, an absorbing novel of high adventure, romance, joy and tragedy. But it is also the first in a series that will tell the story of three Californian families over the course of the 20th century.
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"This was a great saga of family, friends and love lost...and found. It begins with a French/Italian family arriving in New York looking for work and finding life to be difficult due to the lack of jobs even for those hard working men willing to do any honest job. Without money or decent shelter, the small family does their best to survive the their circumstances. Luckily, the search for work, and a better life, takes them to San Francisco; a place where hard work on the piers leads to a promise of a future until disaster strikes, not only for this family but everyone who lives in San Francisco. This disaster begins a story that will keep you interested in the characters and motivated to turn each page until the very end." — Jean (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was a great saga of family, friends and love lost...and found. It begins with a French/Italian family arriving in New York looking for work and finding life to be difficult due to the lack of jobs even for those hard working men willing to do any honest job. Without money or decent shelter, the small family does their best to survive the their circumstances. Luckily, the search for work, and a better life, takes them to San Francisco; a place where hard work on the piers leads to a promise of a future until disaster strikes, not only for this family but everyone who lives in San Francisco. This disaster begins a story that will keep you interested in the characters and motivated to turn each page until the very end."
" Awesome work of historical fiction! This really is a generation-spanning saga that will hook you...before you know it you will be mired in the characters' plotlines...I was truly sad when I finished this book. I read the sequels, but none compares to the original, the gold standard. "
" One of several books about a family saga set in San Francisco in the early 20th century. I highly recommend this series. "
" The Immigrants is the first in a series of six books by Howard Fast. I first read these books in the early 80's and devoured them as fast as I could. If you like reading about the same characters throughout several books, following along the family lineage, all the while surrounded in colorful historical fiction, then this series is for you. Its pretty amazing that you can go through several generations of the same family! "
" I enjoyed this book, good detail and characters. However, it took me a while to finish it, it seemed overly long - like just get on with the story. If I read every night, it probably wouldn't have seemed so long! "
" Learn about the very early years of San Francisco. "
" I read this set of 6 books probably 30 yrs ago, but when it just popped up wanted to share how much I enjoyed it. "
" Looking forward to reading book #2 and #3! "
" I read this many years ago but I do remember that it was a great novel, I will add it to my must read again list. "
" Excellent story line. I read this a couple of years ago and have been searching for it to read again. Historically informational. Fast moving as well as captivating. "
" This is my kind of book. It follows characters over about 20 years. One family is Jewish, which is always nice. "
" I absolutely loved this series. Wish it could of been made into a TV series. Even though I read these books years ago, I can still remember the trials & tribulations this family went through. "
" Gostei muito! "
" Actually published in 1997, this was a very interesting book about immigrants to San Francisco, my favorite city. "
" A fairly predictable book about an immigrant family. It was an easy read. I don't think I was intrigued enough to read anymore books in the series. "
" very good book ....I like it a lot ...and I cant wait to buy the next part ! good reading ! "
" LOVED IT! Can't wait to read book 2 of the series. "
" Loved, loved, loved the book. Great tale of an immigrant family coming to America. Being an immigrant myself more or less, this story is touching and emotional and certainly hit home for me. Very well written. Never got boring for me. "
" Wonderful 5 of 6 book saga revolving around the Lavette family. Lots of history centered around San Francisco. I read the series twice, and someday, I may read the entire set yet again. "
" Lots of good San Fransico history here. I liked the characters and all their flaws. "
" It was a free book from Amazon--Good, but I do not think that I will read the rest of the series. "
" I really enjoyed this book! Great read for historical fiction lovers! "
" I'm finishing it because it's free! It was ok! The characters I cared most about had happy lives! It was a fulfilling ending! "
" Wonderful story. Compelling. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series. "
" Quickly lost interest. One of those epic books that involved way too many people and way too many subplots. "
" This is a re-read for me - I enjoyed it again...like coming back to see an old friend. Now I'm on to the next one in the series! "
" Started out so good. I think it dragged on and on. The characters were developed, but the plot was lacking. I found myself skimming through a lot of this book. "
" I would put this book in the category of a soap opera. "
" I loved this book. It was very well written and best of all, there are 2 sequels which continue to follow the lives of these immigrants that landed in the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century. "
" I have been reading this book for 20 some years. I hope to finish it this summer. "
" My mom owned this book, and I loved it. I read it many times for Fast's detailled story-telling and complex family relationships. "
Howard Fast (1914–2003) was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, he grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, he wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus. Throughout his long career, he matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.
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