Titans
Texas, 1880. In a dramatic prologue, which sets the stage for Meacham’s third family epic (after Somerset, 2014), a young mother gives away one of her newborn twins. For 20 years, the twins live in different areas of Texas. Neither knows the other exists. Samantha, bright and personable, a privileged only child, is close to her father and, as his only heir, aims to become the best possible rancher. Nathan shares his twin’s intelligence and drive but – his mother favors two younger siblings – he can’t take his future for granted.
Texas, 1900. Meacham braids Nathan’s and Samantha’s individual stories, allowing the reader, who knows their history, to make connections the twins cannot. As adults, the twins meet, develop a casual friendship, and share mutual friends and business associates. When Samantha finds a dinosaur skull on land marked for oil exploration, the decision to preserve the site or drill on it affects the fortunes of several families. Old rivalries and suspicions surface among the older generation, while the twins, through inevitably painful revelations, discover the meaning of loyalty.
“Titans” is a misnomer for these (mostly) decent people. Although Texas was on the cusp of the oil boom by 1900, this is a novel about family love and retribution as much as wealth or ambition. What makes Titans successful is how skillfully the author involves readers in the characters’ lives, and keeps us reading, as we watch the plot play out. Recommended for fans of family sagas.
