Rating: 
Summary: a teapot in a tempest
Review: a family saga told in parallel histories of the early 19th and the mid to late 20th centuries, spanning six generations. historic boston makes for a prominent backdrop for an elaborately plotted metropolitan treasure hunt doomed by a fatal curse. contrivances aside, an entertaining, nearly folkloric tale.
Rating:
Summary: gripping...couldn't put it down!
Review: I am not always much of a reader, but this book caught me from the first pages. It is a MUST for anyone who knows and/or loves the city of Boston and the history that goes along with it. I found myself visualizing the streets and areas of Boston as I read each chapter. My only disappointment was the ending...I could not believe that I was on the last page! I wanted it to end differently for the characters (thus, only 4 stars), but overall I was quite satisfied with the book. I am now going to dig into Cape Cod, but the same author.
Rating: 
Summary: Strong plot, weak characters
Review: I bought this book based on several 5-star evaluations here in Amazon, but I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed (which doesn't happen very often). I admit that the plot was interesting and I learned more about Boston than I knew before. However, many of the characters (especially the present-day ones) seemed very two-dimensional. It was hard to tell who was supposed to be driving the action -- it wasn't entirely third-person (which would have been logical in an historical novel) and it wasn't written through the eyes of only one or two characters. For example, a lot of space is given to Fallon the contemporary writer, and he seems to be the one that should draw our focus, but his intentions are all over the map. In fact, every time a new person is introduced, we get glimpses of that person's point-of-view too. I found it disconcerting to read the thoughts of a character in one paragraph, then have to guess what might have motivated their actions in the next one.
Maybe it's an older style of writing (the book was originally written in 1979), but I found the descriptions of relationships between people especially clumsy. I don't know if I'd have finished "Back Bay" if I hadn't been on a trip to a foreign country with no opportunity to find something else in English. I certainly appreciate Michener more than I did as a result of reading this attempt at his kind of storytelling.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my all-time favorites!
Review: I read the book in just three sittings because I couldn't put it down! I was tempted to go to Boston and look for the treasure myself! It was great to see the tea set make a guest appearance in Martin's "Annapolis"! If you're just getting into reading historical fiction, or have been reading it for years, this is a great book to add to your collection! "Cape Cod" is right up there with it! Lots of history and lots of mystery!
Rating:
Summary: The test of time
Review: I read this gripping saga when it was first published some 20 years ago. Since then, I've recommended it to friends and to newcomers to Boston. Recently, I bought a copy at a local library sale and began to re-read it. I am as caught up in it now as I was all those years ago when I first read it. Martin's "Back Bay" does withstand the test of time. The story is cleverly told by the use of flashback. The reader learns the secret and the mystery of the Pratt family early in the book but must wait for the revelation and solution along with the characters who live in the 20th century. The story is a marvelous blend of fact and fiction and is a must read for anyone who loves Boston, history, and mystery. I would also recommend, as a companion book, Walter Muir Whitehill's topographical history of Boston.
Rating:
Summary: The test of time
Review: I read this gripping saga when it was first published some 20 years ago. Since then, I've recommended it to friends and to newcomers to Boston. Recently, I bought a copy at a local library sale and began to re-read it. I am as caught up in it now as I was all those years ago when I first read it. Martin's "Back Bay" does withstand the test of time. The story is cleverly told by the use of flashback. The reader learns the secret and the mystery of the Pratt family early in the book but must wait for the revelation and solution along with the characters who live in the 20th century. The story is a marvelous blend of fact and fiction and is a must read for anyone who loves Boston, history, and mystery. I would also recommend, as a companion book, Walter Muir Whitehill's topographical history of Boston.
Rating:
Summary: An incredibly fun read!
Review: If you have never been to Boston you will like this book. If you have been or live in Boston, you will LOVE this book. The story is great and William Martin takes you on an adventure that keeps you turning the pages. The story of the Pratts and their search for a family treasure will make you think about your own family history and if there is a treasure to be had. I highly recommend this book. I have also read "Cape Cod" by William Martin and it is equally as fun. Killer beach reading
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is long, complicated, lots of flashbacks, historical references, and thoroughly engrossing. When I first started it I read a few pages and decided I didn't like it. I put the book aside for a day or two, then went I picked it up again, I became so interested in the story I could hardly put it down. This is the second book I have read by William Martin, and I must say, he can sure tell a good story. I glad I gave the book a second chance. Well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: very entertaining novel with Boston backdrop
Review: This was a lively read about a wealthy family in Boston. The story is told in chapters that alternate between modern times (the late 1970s, anyway) and the past, as the family is haunted by its relationship to a Paul Revere tea set. The story is well told, but it seems obvious that the author is a historian -- the story and characters in the past, with a few exceptions, seem much more interesting.Still, this is a fun read, particularly if you're interested in Boston's history.
Rating:
Summary: very entertaining novel with Boston backdrop
Review: This was a lively read about a wealthy family in Boston. The story is told in chapters that alternate between modern times (the late 1970s, anyway) and the past, as the family is haunted by its relationship to a Paul Revere tea set. The story is well told, but it seems obvious that the author is a historian -- the story and characters in the past, with a few exceptions, seem much more interesting. Still, this is a fun read, particularly if you're interested in Boston's history.
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