What I love about Edward Rutherfurd's writing is how seamlessly he incorporates authentic historical figures and events into the storyline. It is now 1853 and New York has become a melting pot of different cultures such as Irish, Jewish, German and Dutch. The economy is beginning to improve with new technology brought on by the invention of steam power. We are in the thick of the Industrial Revolution which began in Great Britain and spread throughout Europe and North America.
Frank Master and his wife visit "The Crystal Palace at 40th Street" which has been modelled after the palace built for the Great Exhibition in Great Britain in 1851. This is a real building and event as is the New York palace which was built in 1853 for "The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations". That is exactly what Frank and Hetta see - scientific instruments, guns, water pumps, ice-cream makers, equipment for taking photographs or sending telegrams and many other types of machinery. Seeing these inventions through the eyes of people living in this era is so exciting. I feel like I am there with them, awed by the progress of industry. This is certainly reminiscent of our current circumstances with the explosion of the internet, social networking, the Web 2.0 and many other amazing technologies.
As Frank and his wife discuss his shipping business, the author inserts information about steam-powered vessels on the Hudson River - the same river where a plane made an emergency landing recently. The Cunard family, a well-known cruise ship company today, was the first to successfully run steamships across the Atlantic. The Cunard's rival, Cornelius Vanderbilt, depicted as a "tough as nails" commodore who no one wants to mess with, is also a true historical figure.
It is this backdrop of history that comes alive through Rutherfurd's narrative, helping the reader experience the sights, sounds and excitement of this important period in world history.
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