Michener's Chesapeake

I am just finishing the late James Michener’s sprawling epic, Chesapeake, in which the author paints the historical development of the Chesapeake Bay region across four centuries. It is long, but richly rewarding. Michener introduces the reader to a myriad of characters along the way. These characters, some fictional, some factual, all fit into the integrity of the historical sketch. It spans the history of the regions development from before colonization all the way through the impact of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s. Michener does a masterful job of tracing the lives of several distinct families and their ancestors as time unfolds in the region.

At one point, Michener inserts the great Methodist Bishop, Francis Asbury. In this sketch, he renders a fictional, though likely realistic, entry to one of Asbury’s journal recordings. Here he describes his evangelistic efforts in the Chesapeake region of Patamoke and his impression of one of the families traced in the novel, the Turlocks. What ensues is a description of the utter waywardness of the town in general and of this Turlock, in particular. Writes Michener (fictionally, as Asbury),

"I arrived at Patamoke, a fair town on a fair river, on fire to save the souls

of these rude men who fished the bay as the followers of Jesus fished the

Gallilee, but the first man I fell in with was one Turlock, who annoyed the

patrons of our tavern by his noisy eating, his loud drinking, his smoking and

his riotous behavior. He appeared as forgetful of eternity as if he had been

at the most secure distance from its brink. The reprobate had the effrontery

to tell me in a loud voice that his father had lived to be 109 and had never

used spectacles.

Having been greeted by a man so steeped in sin, I was eager to get about the

business of saving this place, but I found that Satan has arrived before me,

diverting the good people of Patamoke with a play, which they attended

noisily and with apparent delight. I was sore distressed."

Epic. Classic! Read this book.