Books like Transatlantic by Colum McCann really skew my whole book rating system. This is why.
(Affiliate links included for your convenience. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See disclosure here.)
It is a beautifully written book, painting memorable portraits of its diverse characters. Lily, an Irish maid who courageously seeks a new life in America…Frederick Douglass, a black slave and abolitionist whose influence reaches across the ocean…Emily Ehrlich, a female reporter carving out her career in a male-dominated field. And there are more characters, each strong and driven yet at the same time vulnerable and quiet. In awe of all this ever-enlarging world has to offer.
Colum McCann writes not only beautifully but cleverly, as his story unfolds throughout several decades, linking together at the end with a few splendid threads. It takes the reader from the confines of slavery in the South to the desperate poverty of Ireland and to more modern day political churnings and international negotiations – all events shaping not only the lives of us as a nation but the lives of us individually.
No doubt McCann is a gifted writer. And no doubt Transatlantic is a poignantly written story. But here’s the deal. While the literary enthusiast in me appreciated the book, the busy, list-making, homemaker and artist in me didn’t. I found it a bit difficult to get “hooked.” The first chapter never quite grabbed my interest. Determined to finish it, the reading then became somewhat of a chore rather than a pleasure. Although the literary talent of McCann spoke to my intellect, it never quite spoke to my heart.
So here’s the deal. Transatlantic by Colum McCann. If you love historical fiction, put it on your list. If you’re more of an emotional reader, skip it. For this reason, I’m guiltily giving it 3.75 stars. 
