Book review: Topping the Dome by RIchard Novak Great Read!

Topping the Dome by Richard Novak

Early American History, Creative nonfiction

$2.99 ebook

$9.96 print

$18.84 audible

Create Space, this edition, 2011

ISBN 978-1466276789

Buy on Amazon

From the publisher: 

2013 will be the 150th anniversary of topping the Capitol Dome in Washington with the sculpture of Freedom by Thomas Crawford. A picture of the Capitol Dome is second only to the Flag as America's most iconic image and can be seen daily as a segue into news from Washington. This is the tragic story of the creator and creation of the sculpture Freedom. 

In 1835, Thomas Crawford leaves America to study sculpture in Rome under the world's premier sculptor. His career takes him back and forth between the ancient Capitol of Rome and the new Capitol of America, Washington, D.C. Art and politics collide as his patrons in America struggle to have his work accepted by a Congress bitterly divided over the issue of slavery. Crawford would eventually create more sculpture for the Capitol than any other sculptor. With the country at war, Abraham Lincoln refuses to halt the construction of the Capitol, and Crawford's greatest work, the statue of Freedom, is placed on the Capitol Dome in the midst of the Civil War, December 2, 1863. In this true story, three other men, Charles Sumner, a staunch abolitionist, Senator, and ideologue, Clark Mills, a self-taught sculptor and opportunist, and the supervisor of construction of the Capitol, Captain Montgomery C. Meigs, an autocratic achiever, play major roles in this confrontation between art and politics and the success of Thomas Crawford. Their careers, in their own way, mirror Crawford's during this tumultuous period leading up to the Civil War.

My review:

Creative non-fiction is always tricky, especially when recreating conversation, dialog, and setting. Novak has done a more than credible job of telling the events of crowing America with a dome on the Capitol building. It was a long road of showing American pride in our early national history. From ordering a sculpture, Freedom, to finding the perfect person to create the "crowning achievement" to garnering the funds to cover the cost, readers of American history will find much to appreciate in this detailed and highly documented story.

A nearly thirty-year journey, Topping the Dome focuses on the sculptor, Thomas Crawford, and his ally in government, Charles Sumner, and their friendship and efforts to keep the America they loved from crumbling into ruin during the buildup to the Civil War.

Novak, a sculptor, history buff, world traveler, and former medical school professor, has put together a fine book. Included are photographs of the people and events, and a truly astonishing bibliography. Parts of original letters back up the narrative. Novak's personal experience as a sculptor adds to the story in a way someone who didn't understand the process could never have achieved. Artists also will find this story of creating a gem of national pride intriguing.

About the author: Richard F. Novak, a sculptor for 40 years, has works in both public spaces and private collections. This work is the culmination of two years research. My original intent was to tell the story from the perspective of a sculptor. However, as I moved through the extensive research material available, the era and the fascinating men and women who touched on his life shaped an intriguing story which I felt must be included with Crawford's. Rather than present the story as another encyclopedic description of Crawford's achievements, I decided to bring these amazing characters to life in the genre of an historical novel. The dialogue is, of course, fictional, but the story is based on the actual events as they unfolded from 1835 to 1863. For more see toppingthedome.com.

Thanksgiving Day in Early America

Thanksgiving in Early America by Elaine Marie Cooper When we sit down at our Thanksgiving meal this month, we’ll be recreating a celebration that is as old as our country: sharing food with loved ones while thanking the God Who has provided the abundance. While we understand that the First Thanksgiving was celebrated here by the Mayflower survivors along with the Indians that had helped them, the first official proclamation that was decreed to celebrate such a holiday was in 1777. It was a recommendation to the thirteen states by the Continental Congress to set aside December 18th that year as a “solemn thanksgiving” to celebrate the first major victory for the Continental troops in the American Revolution: the Battle of Saratoga. The Battle of Saratoga has significant interest for my own family since one of my ancestors was a soldier there. But he was not on the American side—he was a British Redcoat. After surrendering to the Americans, he escaped the line of prisoners and somehow made his way to Massachusetts and into the life and heart of my fourth great-grandmother. *SIGH* L’amour! This family story was the inspiration for my Deer Run Saga that begins in 1777 with The Road to Deer Run. There is an elaborate Thanksgiving meal scene in this novel as well as in the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run. Some may wonder why such detail was afforded this holiday in my novels set in Massachusetts, while Christmas is barely mentioned. The reason is simple: Thanksgiving was the major holiday in the northern colonies, with Christmas considered nothing more special than a workday. According to Jack Larkin in his book, The Reshaping of Everyday Life, “The Puritan founders of New England and the Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania had deliberately abolished (holidays) as unscriptural.” But Thanksgiving was begun as a way to give thanks to God for His provision. It usually began with attending church services in the morning, followed by an elaborate feast in the afternoon. The food for this meal was prepared for weeks in advance. Since the individual state governors chose their own date to celebrate the holiday, it was theoretically possible for some family members—if they lived in close proximity—to celebrate multiple Thanksgiving meals with family and friends across state borders. The dates chosen could be anywhere from October to December, according to Dennis Picard, Director of the Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Chicken was most commonly served, said Picard, as it was readily available in the barnyard. And the oldest woman in the home had the honor of slicing the fowl for dinner. Pies were made well in advance of the holiday and stored and became frozen in dresser drawers in unheated rooms. “I like the idea of pulling out a dresser drawer for, say, a clean pair of socks, and finding mince pies,” said Picard, tongue in cheek. Indeed! Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving! Author Bio

Elaine Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest with her husband, her three dogs and one huge cat. She has two married sons and triplet grandchildren who are now one years old. The Promise of Deer Run is dedicated to the triplets and to veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.Elaine has been a magazine freelance writer for many years, and is a regular contributor to a blog on the Midwest called The Barn Door (www.thebarndoor.net) and a blog on Christian living called Reflections In Hindsight (ReflectionsInHindsight.wordpress.com). She is the author of The Road to Deer Run and the sequel, The Promise of Deer Run. Prior to becoming an author, Elaine worked as a registered nurse.