Centennial

I read this book before I watched the TV series, and I admit that the series was not disappointing. The book reverts to prehistoric times for the origins of what was to become the town of Centennial in Colorado.

This is another story of the building of America, although from the opposite spectrum to my prior recommendation. It touches on the Indian tribes who fought long and hard to keep their land and continues on to cover all aspects of the eventual population, from trappers to cowboys and ranchers, and the hardships experienced in creating such a settlement in 1844.… show more.

I almost forgot to include this on the list as I first read it almost fifty years ago but find that it stands up well over time.  

This novel covers an enormous timeline yet is still well-anchored by weaving together rich episodes that all take place around northeastern Colorado. You gain insight into the geology of the Rocky Mountains and the region’s dinosaurs of the Jurassic period.

You learn about the lives of the Arapaho, a beaver trapper, an immigrant family, and the Great Plains’ buffalo herds. You even learn about the sugar beet industry. Michener puts it together as… show more.

Michener starts his novel with a vision of the Arapahoe culture along the Platte River in what is now Colorado. His tale unwinds over time and allows his readers to follow the conquest of the land by whites, the development of a rich city based on mineral wealth and river trade, and the decline of that city until wealth has departed. It is the only other book I know that follows precisely the same pattern as my book. How could I not love it?

Set in the town of Centennial, Colorado, the story, like so many of Michener’s works, moves through the centuries from the Arapaho who inhabited the area, to the fur trappers, to the first settlers, all the way to modern times. Each generation is filled with incredible, remarkably vivid characters. You will find yourself anguishing over each and every passing. Yet remarkably, Michener is able to seamlessly transition into the next cast of characters with a skill few, if any, authors can match. Filled with action and heart-rendering people, if you enjoy historical works and broad tales, this American epic just… show more.