When I heard of the premise of this novel, I was very interested in it. Historical fiction is not an easy genre to conquer and I was intrigued by this particular author's take on Sigmund Freud and his American visit.

One thing that Rubenfeld does particularly well is his research. Freud is portrayed exactly the way that he is when taught, as an erudite scholar. However, it seems that fiction is something that he needs to work on.

Rubenfeld's descriptions of turn of the century New York City are very pleasing, however his characters are somewhat bloodless, as it is very hard to engage with some of them. Some plot twists are easy to guess and somewhat disappointing when finally borne out. It is a quick read and entertaining if you like Freud or historical fiction. Not the best, but okay.