James A Michener

The high points in the story of Alaska since the American acquisition are brought vividly to life through more than 100 characters, real and fictional. Another told-from-the-beginning-of-time Michener saga, this one featuring Alaska. The book begins a billion years ago. Its first characters are the mastadon and the woolly mammoth, followed by such other settlers as the Eskimos, Athapaskans, and Russians. Vignettes of characters as varied as the Danish...

Set in the Palms, a Florida retirement center, the story follows several residents over the course of a year as their individual narratives--humorous, moving, or sometimes triumphant--unfold.

Prior to appearing before a congressional committee, Major Norman Starr, attached to the National Security Council, spends a weekend reflecting on his situation and the long line of Americans from whom he is descended.