San Patricios

"San Patricios," which follows Wild Onion and Pitchfork Murders, continues Reimer's tale of two immigrants who settle in Chicago. Told from the point of view of characters living in the 19th century, we feel the power of historical fiction. Authentic characters pull the reader into the story leaving us with a desire to know them. Seamus O'Shea and Axel Konrad have become as familiar as our close friends. Sprinkled throughout the novel are human experiences that we can identify with immediately: irrational fears parents entertain when a child is facing a crisis or is threatened, joy in reconciliation, pleasure when friends succeed, horror felt when humans are mistreated, the ugliness of racial, ethnic and religious intolerance, to name a few. Anyone interested in the early history of Chicago and the politics of the 1840s will find San Patricios a worthwhile read. The politics of today are not that much different than the politics of the mid-19th century. Any difference is attributable to modern technology. -Thomas B. McClain, retired educator