Book Review: The Magic Kingdom

In 1971, a property speculator named Harley Mann begins recording his life story onto a reel-to-reel machine. Reflecting on his childhood in the early twentieth century, Harley recounts that after his father’s sudden death, his family migrated down to Florida’s swamplands—mere miles away from what would become Disney World—to join a community of Shakers.

Led by Elder John, a generous man with a mysterious past, the colony devoted itself to labor, faith, and charity, rejecting all temptations that lay beyond the property. Though this way of life initially saved Harley and his family from complete ruin, when Harley began falling in love with Sadie Pratt, a consumptive patient living on the grounds, his loyalty to the Shakers and their conservative worldview grew strained and, ultimately, broke. As Harley dictates his story across more than half a century—meditating on youth, Florida’s everchanging landscape, and the search for an American utopia—the truth about Sadie, Elder John, and the Shakers comes to light, clarifying the past and present alike.

The Magic Kingdom, the sixteenth novel from Russell Banks, comes out on November 8 of 2022. Knopf Doubleday Publishing has provided an early galley for review.

The reason I was attracted to this book was just by the cover itself. The image of a steamer navigating a river – with the vibrant blue-greens and that very specific boat design – along with the title instantly makes me think of Disney World. My brain immediately fills me with positive emotion and anticipation. It brings back exactly how I felt the first time, and pretty much every time, we’ve visited the Magic Kingdom in Florida. My hope was that book would be an equally positive experience.

As a historical fiction novel (a genre that is not necessarily a favorite of mine), the book managed to win me over rather quickly. The plot captured my attention right away, and I was eager to find out what happened to Harley and his family. I credit this to Banks' writing style and the narrative approach he employed here. He also did his research, filling the book with factual individuals like Dr. Cyrus Teed and the great freeze of 1907 that hit Florida. I learned quite a bit from this story.

So, did it meet the expectation that came from the cover? Well, sort of. I was certainly engaged by it, and that is better than some books I encounter. I think readers might find it interesting too.