I read this book because someone recommended it. I recently read another book by this author (In the Garden of Beasts), and I enjoyed that one, so I was excited to read this one.
A quick summary: This book talks about the World's Fair in Chicago in the 1890s, focusing on Daniel Burnham, the Fair's main architect, and on H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who lived close to the Fair.
This book was so informative! (I realize this maybe sounds like it was a textbook or something, but it was novel-like and very interesting!) I enjoyed learning about Burnham and his life, and especially about the whole process of designing and building the Fair. It was amazing to me how much the Fair actually impacted our current lives. For example, it resulted in the creation of the Ferris Wheel (we meet George Ferris, its creator). Also, a lot of products that were tested at the Fair, such as Aunt Jemima and Shredded Wheat, are still in use today. In addition, Burnham became a "pioneer in modern urban planning," which began with the design of the Fair.
The story about Holmes was also very intriguing (and creepy!). He was supposedly an incredibly charming man who used his charm to attract young girls (girls who were usually alone and new to the city) and kill them. It was pretty intense. He supposedly killed somewhere between 27 and 200 people. Luckily, he was finally caught. It took a while to find the necessary evidence, but it was finally found.
Great book! After reading it, I've run into several other people who also enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.
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