by Jill Lepore
First published 2002
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, a divided nation fights to define itself. "A is for American" takes us into the lives of forgotten figures - from a runaway slave turned Union spy to a Native American warrior resisting westward expansion. As the young country grapples with its founding ideals, these stories reveal the messy, high-stakes process of building an American identity. At its heart, this is the tale of a nation still finding its way.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: United States
Period: 18th Century, 19th Century
256 pages · Hardcover · Knopf