“With the sense that someone was lurking nearby, Goldfinch shook himself out of the daze. He felt a chill forming at the back of his neck.”
A small settlement in New Jersey has its sights set on being set apart from the world. It’s 1829 and Andrew Jackson is president and slavery is still allowed. They believe in work, fairness and equality, but also desire peace. When they are settled enough to start enacting their original plan, it turns out nothing like they planned. They are supposed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad, not a battle zone.
The author of Synod contacted me to request a book review through my blog. I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. The synopsis sounded like an interesting historical fiction book set in early America.
Goldfinch is the leader of the group at Synod, yet he is old and has visions of his time in the War of 1812. He believes in the abolitionist fight and thinks the entire community is on the same page. Yet, when the battle comes to his front gate, he finds traitors among them. With the lives of a few runaway slaves in their hands, Goldfinch finds help from some strange places and people and finds his own way in the end.
While the initial storyline is interesting, it took me a while to get into Synod. The writing style is very in-depth and therefore the book reads at a slower pace than most modern novels. There is also some mysticism thrown in with a wolf helping a government official “see” what goes on at Synod. People who like historical fiction set in early America will enjoy this book as well as those who want a book that has a deeper storyline. It’s not a quick beach read. The message is that a small act by one person to another can help move along big changes.
Do you think this is a book you would enjoy? Comment on the blog!