In City in Amber, Atkinson has created a compelling story of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a planned industrial city built around the cloth and garment industry, moving from the citys construction and founding before the American Civil War to the sporadic conflagrations that plagued Lawrence in the 1990s. The writing in Atkinsons novel is so fine that even the downright evil characters manage to eke out a moment of sympathy from the readernot to mention the laughter and sadness his other characters evoke. And just as the amber metaphor in the title indicates, the reader is constantly pleased and surprised to pick up certain nearly mystical threads from generation to generation: Ah, thats what happened to those solid gold cufflinks! Ah, thats where that poor mans tooth wound up! City in Amber offers an amazing cast of characters and plots, just as it offers an entirely pleasurable and leisurely read.