Burstein reveals a nation full of ambition as the reins of democracy are passed from the last Revolutionary War heroes to the first new generation of leaders. We follow an aged Lafayette on his triumphant tour of the country, and learn of the nearly simultaneous deaths of Adams and Jefferson on the fourth of July. We also see the year through the eyes of a minister's wife and a romantic novelist, and even an intrepid wheel of cheese makes an appearance. Here is a moving and lively portrait of a self-aware people at a major crossroads in their history.