Ragtime by E L Doctorow

This is an involved novel of historical fiction.  It is a little depressing but interesting.

There is a white family that have no names and are just called by their family titles, Father, Mother, younger brother, etc.  They take in a black maid and her young son.  The boy's father keeps coming around to woo the mother.  He is involved in a horribly violent incident and struggles to regain his pride.  There is also a Jewish father and daughter in New York that become involved in the story.  An interesting thing to me is that the black and Jewish families have names and more defined identities than the white family.  Another interesting thing is the inclusion of historical figures like Henry Ford who somewhat randomly appear in the narrative.  By the end of the book, all three families are inter-connected in a supposed representation of the American "melting pot."

This book has some serious racially-motivated violence that is inappropriate for younger readers.

Ragtime isn't my favorite book, but it is interesting.  Some of the characters get your attention and keep it.  It is worth the time but isn't a purely entertaining read.