The Devil in the White City

I’m not sure what my very favorite book is currently; however, a book that I read within the last couple years and really enjoyed is called The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen. This book is nonfiction and tells two intertwined stories: one story is the planning and preparation for the 1892 Chicago World Fair and the other is of a serial killer in Chicago at the same time who uses the fair to his advantage to murder his victims.
One of the reasons I really enjoyed this book was the fact that it is nonfiction. I learned so much about the time period in which it took place and I also learned many interesting facts about that time period. For example, the tune to the song “there’s a place in France where the naked ladies dance…” came from the fair needing a catchy tune for one of their exotic villages with snake charmers. Also, the Pledge of Allegiance was created in response to the fair because the nation wanted something that all of the school children could recite at the same time to feel united. In addition to this, the Ferris wheel was invited for the fair to rival the Eiffel Tower (which was built for the Paris World Fair just a short time before). Of course, the story line of a real-life serial killer was hauntingly interesting and I found myself unable to put it down.