Rating: 
Summary: Very Nice, Even Better if You Know DC
Review: Mallon's strength is his description of 1870s Washinton, DC. If you're familiar with the city, you'll recognize countless landmarks (both extant and extinct) referred to throughout this story. If you like local DC, as opposed to political DC, give this book extra consideration.The characters run a close second to the setting, although the Irish astrologer was a little too stereotypical for my tastes. The two main characters (Cynthia May & Hugh Allison) are delightful in their relationship, and inspiring when their motives are considered alone. Senator Roscoe Conkling is the most fleshed out historical figure, but it's hard to discern between historic fact and the author's embellishments in the pursuit of crafting the perfect villain. Not engrossing, but delightful and easy nonetheless.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique and Mesmerizing
Review: The last book I enjoyed this much was The Poisonwood Bible. I give Thomas Mallon credit for writing this lovely story with such a strong female character. More please.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book was very little about astronomy and the actual history of the discovery of Phobos and Deimos, which is what I was interested in, and much more about the politics in postbellum (that is too a word; I looked it up) America. I skimmed endless passages detailing the intricacies of the lives of men whose names I didn't know because, well, because they probably didn't have much to contribute to the pagent of history. Maybe I daydreamed through this part in history class, but shouldn't a good historical novel include an engaging introduction to the period, rather than a catalog of the doings of every bit player? I was unable to sympathise with any of the main characters, who were all self-absorbed and self-pitying. Peripheral (and non-political) characters, like the Irish astrologer, the "Scientific Frenchman" correspondent, and Asaph Hall (the moons' discoverer) and his ambitious wife, were much more interesting to me. Many passages were clumsily written, telling rather than showing. And before each character comes down with malaria, the author made a point of describing the protentous mosquito bite--but ignores all the other bites that every character would have suffered in the course of the muggy summer. My interest was in astronomy, not politics, so perhaps I shouldn't blame the author for expounding my favorite subject, but I'm a fairly well-rounded person, I think, and if the political stuff was better written, I might have enjoyed learning about it. However, it failed entirely to engage my interest.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging Historical Fiction
Review: This captivating novel not only immerses you in the politics and astronomical issues of the 1870's, but features characters that have dimension enough to make you care deeply about some and understand what makes the others tick. I'd rate as highly as "The Voyage of the Narwhal."
Rating:
Summary: Sliver of the Gilded Age
Review: This is a beatifully written work, set in an interesting period - Washington D.C. several years after the Civil War. I found the four main characters well-developed and quite interesting, particularly given the period. I also found the historic details fascinating, which describe living conditions, economics, science, politics, and the roles of men and women circa 1880 in the United States. The book isn't always a page-turner, but it has several exciting scenes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of seemingly well-researched detail and a fascinating setting.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written Historical Drama
Review: This is a beatifully written work, set in an interesting period - Washington D.C. several years after the Civil War. I found the four main characters well-developed and quite interesting, particularly given the period. I also found the historic details fascinating, which describe living conditions, economics, science, politics, and the roles of men and women circa 1880 in the United States. The book isn't always a page-turner, but it has several exciting scenes. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of seemingly well-researched detail and a fascinating setting.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a beautifully written, thoughtful, and very moving historical novel. The characters are finely drawn and the D.C. of the 1880's is depicted superbly. Mallon is an excellent historical novelist with a true sense of humanity. Very well done.
Rating:
Summary: A historical fiction with intelligence and heart
Review: This is a rare kind of book. It combines a meticulous sense of historical reality with science and high romance between unlikely characters. It makes me want to seek out and read all of Mallon's work, and to keep and reread (soon!) this one.
Rating:
Summary: A sad, sweet story
Review: This is a story that's going to stay with me for awhile. Mallon writes a wonderful story of four lives that come together mixing happiness and despair. Like "Henry and Clara" there is a sense of sadness (ill-fated-ness?) throughout the book that reminds one to enjoy every opportunity for happiness. As someone who works in Washington I also really enjoyed reading more about the city and what it was like in 1877. I think I'll have to take another walk down to Foggy Bottom very soon to look for the ghosts of Cynthia and Hugh.
Rating:
Summary: A Charming Story
Review: This is a wonderful, charming little book. It's a romance with a small "r". It's not the great American novel and thank God it doesn't even try for that. The last thing we need more of is the bloated over-weight fudge we keep getting from Tom Wolfe and Norman Mailer. The characters are well-drawn and believable, unlike several of the characters in Mallon's previous novel, "Dewey Defeats Truman". You will care about them and you will understand why they do what they do. As always, Mallon's ability to evoke a time and place is unmatched. His aim is dead on. I'm no expert in Washington, D.C. in any century, but the depiction of the capital in 1877 worked for me and I didn't find any major anachronisms. The astronomical and astrological themes are skillfully woven into the story and provide a good deal of interest. Finally, anyone who truly has been in love will find that the story of Cynthia May and Hugh Allison will strike a resounding chord in your heart.
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