Long Branch, New Jersey, initially a sleepy little seashore village but one where the cottages eventually resembled palaces, becomes the Gilded Strand of the Gilded Age of the late 19 th century. The narrator tells the story of how her grandmother of the famous Dunbar family interacted with former Presidents and many other influential, powerful families within that political and social milieu. Indeed, it is General Ulysses Grant who first establishes Long Branch as a noteworthy summer resort area. And it is James Garfield's daughter, Molly, who becomes the best friend of the narrator's grandmother.

Eventually, James Garfield is shot by an assassin, seems near death for three months, and is finally brought to Long Branch , almost half way into the book. For those who are socially conscious, the names and family/political/social connections in this book are innumerable for that particular time period. Scandals, disputed elections, with passing references to other famous men and women like Susan B. Anthony bring the reader into a prosperous and superficial community hiding a host of political intrigue and deception from its constituents.

The forty years between the Civil War and the dawn of the 20 th century, however, are accurately portrayed as amazingly progressive on industrial and technological inventions destined to change the face of future American business. In that sense alone, this account is an accurate, albeit rambling, reflection of the changing American culture on the cusp of a turning century.

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on March 28, 2006