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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Buffalo hunts, Native American massacres, frontier violence, and the brutality of cattle drives are depicted with historical authenticity
Language
Barely any
Period-appropriate language; minimal profanity
Sexual Content
Some
Adult romantic relationships across multiple eras; some explicit content in certain storylines
Substance Use
Some
Moderate drinking across frontier and ranching cultures
Emotional Intensity
Some
The weight of historical tragedy—the destruction of Native cultures and natural ecosystems played out across centuries
What this book is about
Michener's epic follows a stretch of Colorado land from prehistoric times through the 1970s, tracing the lives of the animals, Native Americans, explorers, settlers, ranchers, and farmers who shaped it. At over 1,200 pages, Centennial is characteristic Michener: vast in scope, meticulously researched, and unflinching about the violence, displacement, and exploitation that built the American West.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Native American displacement and massacre depicted with historical accuracy
Violence of the frontier and buffalo extermination
Reader Verification
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