Heyday

Kurt Anderson, the host of WNYC's "Studio 360", did his homework, and wants you to know it. In his novel "Heyday", set around 1848-1849 and zigzagging across two continents, he crams more historical figures into 600 pages than my high school American History book. That is not to say the book is dry- it might be set 150 years ago, but it includes plenty of sex and violence described in 21st century detail. The story follows four friends from the events that led to their meeting in New York to California, where they go to look for gold. But to describe the plot thus- leaving out the dramatic chases, tragic back stories, pit stops at several Utopian communities, quests for vengeance, meetings with Charles Darwin, Walt Whitman and numerous other luminaries, and an assault with a stuffed penguin- is to overlook the barrage of details and detours that are usually engrossing and occasionally reminiscent of a history student persistently looking for extra credit. I enjoyed the book and certainly learned a lot, but it was a little distracting to be so often reminded that I was learning.