The Fall River Line — Daoma Winston

On May 19, 1847, the town of Fall River, Massachusetts, turned out to cheer as the Bay State sailed on its maiden voyage, inaugurating passenger service between Boston and New York. During the next ninety years, The Fall River Line was part of, and made, American history, hosting presidents, songwriters, actors, tycoons, the wealthy and the poor -- and, in this splendid novel, a cast of characters who will capture your emotions and your allegiance.

There are Marcus and Amy Kincaid, investors in the line, the first of four generations whose lives and fortunes are entwined with the Fall River ships. There is this daughter, beautiful Augusta, born on the day the Bay State first sailed, for whom every dream begins and ends with the Fall River Line ships; and her tempestuous sister, Aria, rival for the love of Luke Wakefield, whose rise from cabin boy to a man of power is also directly tied to the rise of the Line. There is Willie Gorgas, once a deckhand, who builds a hotel empire from a string of brothels; and Mabel Graystone, who triples her fortune as a monument to the father she despises. And there are their children, lovers, enemies, friends -- a vast panoply of unforgettable characters whose heroics and villanies, joys and tragedies, will keep you spellbound.