The Immigrants by Howard Fast

This first novel in the 6-book “Lavette Family” series begins in 1889 with fisherman Joseph Lavette and his wife Anna completing their Atlantic sea voyage and arriving at Ellis Island. But most of the story features their son, Dan Lavette and takes place in California between 1906 and the early 1930s.

Dan begins as a fisherman like his father but loses both parents in the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Even though taken in by friends of the family, he grows up quickly and uses his talents to grow an empire, eventually including cargo ships during WWI and later ocean liners, hotels, department stores, land acquisition, and even the rapidly expanding early airline industry. Risk, it seems is its own reward. This is a story of building great riches, great power, and complex relationships. Huge gains and big losses against a backdrop of world war, prohibition, and stock market crashes. A cornucopia of characters contribute to the overall story with a number of sub plots and story arcs but ultimately this is Dan’s story as he learns what is truly important in life. 

The author, Howard Fast was, himself, the son of immigrants and much of his early life seems partly to parallel that of Dan Lavette’s early struggle to succeed. This series of books comes fairly late in his prolific career and it reflects his love of history as well as an accomplished professional style that is both informed and entirely readable. In some ways this reminds me of the novels of Jeffrey Archer or perhaps Harold Robbins' The Carpetbaggers. This one kept me turning the pages wanting to see what happened next and now I am most anxious to pursue the next books in the series.