In the Holy Bible, Cain and Abel were the first and second sons of Adam and Eve. Cain commits the first murder on earth, by killing his brother Abel, after God rejects his sacrifice in favor of his brother.
In a way that was also the case of the first rivalry between human beings. Jeffrey Archer, picks this thread and comes up with a powerful bestseller, that takes it’s name from the two Biblical characters. Kane and Abel is the story of two men, born on the opposite sides of the Atlantic, in totally different circumstances, and the only thing common is that they are born on the same date, **April 18, 1906.
Plot
William Kane, is born with a silver spoon, into a wealth **Boston Brahmin family. The Boston Brahmins so called, because they happen to be the richest and most educated families, and claim their descent from the founding fathers who founded the city of Boston. William’s father Richard Kane, was a highly successful banker himself.
Wladek Koskieciwz is raised by a family of trappers in rural Poland, who find him as an abandoned child in the woods. When he grows up, the local Baron Rosnowski, sires him and asks him to be a companion to his son Leon. Wladek agrees and also brings along his elder sister Florentyna. When WW1 breaks out, Poland is occupied by the German soldiers, and the Baron, along with his family is taken as prisoner. Leon is killed by one of the soldiers, while Florentyna is gang raped and killed by the soldiers. Before dying the Baron hands Wladek his silver band of authority, and that’s when Wladek realizes he is none other than the Baron’s illegitimate son. Wladek is taken to **Siberia, from where he manages to escape to Turkey, and from there to the US. On his arrival in America as an immigrant, he adopts the name of Abel Rosnovski, and starts life as a waiter in the Hotel Plaza. The owner of the hotel, Davis Leroy is impressed by his work, and makes him the manager. Abel turns around the loss making hotel into a profitable one and becomes a stockholder.
During the Great Depression, Davis commits suicide, when he is unable to find a bank to support him financially. Before he dies Davis reveals to Abel, that Kane & Cabot, was the bank that didn’t support him. And that kick starts the rivalry between these two men. Abel marries his love Zaphia, and builds up a successful hotel empire. Kane in the meanwhile leads his bank to success. Abel however has not forgiven Kane, and he also joins hands with Henry Osborne, Kane’s step father in order to take revenge on him. Read the rest of the book to find out the fascinating tale of rivalry between these two men.
Characters
Wladek Kosckieciwz aka Abel Rosnovski, the illegal son of a Baron. A happy childhood but a very unhappy youth. He sees his sister gang raped and killed in front of him, his father and brother killed, and then he travels ticketless in a train to escape **from Siberia. He is a person who comes from ground up, and this at times makes him ruthless, bitter and vengeful. Though an immigrant of US, he still loves his native Poland.
William Kane, though born into a rich family with all the comforts, still has an unhappy personal life. His father dies in the **Titanic disaster when he is a kid, and his mother marries Henry Osborne, who turns out to be a rogue. He hates his stepfather and spends most of the time at Harvard with his best friend Mathew Lester. When his mother dies, he turns out Henry Osborne out.
Henry Osborne**, Kane’s stepfather, a totally depraved and corrupt person. He marries Kane’s mother for her riches, and he wastes all her money, running into debts. He is turned out by Kane, and he later becomes a politician. Abel uses him in his fight against Kane, not knowing his true nature.
George, Abel’s** companion on the voyage to US, and who later becomes his best friend and partner. He is the voice of reason to Abel’s often hot headed temperament. He stands by Abel throughout his life.
Florentyna Rosnovoski, Abel’s daughter, whom he names after his elder sister. She later falls in love with William Kane’s son **Richard.
This was one book, that I could not put down, after I started to read it. Every passage just gripped me. Florentyna’s rape and murder by soldiers is horrifyingly described, and it does stun the reader. Abel’s escape from Siberia in a train, traveling without a ticket in the bathroom, and his rescue in Turkey is wonderfully described. So also is Kane’s showdown with Henry Osborne, after the death of his mother. As well as Kane confiding to his friend about his step father. Abel’s rise to riches is also well documented, as is the scene in the World War II, where Abel unknowingly rescues Kane.
The novel also skillfully intertwines actual incidents of the early 20th century with the lives of the two lead characters- the two World wars, the Great Depression, the Titanic disaster. Also Abel’s early life, wonderfully depicts the tragedy of Poland. No other country suffered as much as Poland during the early part of the 20th century. Both Russia and Germany exploited it to the maximum, and looted it completely. During the World War II, the Nazis totally destroyed this nation, and later during the Cold War, the Russians ruined it further. Most of the Polish cities were totally destroyed, and it had the maximum number of casualties during the War.
Also the novel examines the conflict between the established gentry and the immigrants in USA. Kane belonged to the Boston Brahmins, a privileged class, while Abel, made his fortunes right from the ground up. There was a clear class divide, in that many members of the elite class, would often look down upon the immigrants, and stereotype them. So Italians were lazy thieves, Irish were cunning, while Poles were downright stupid. Contrary to the general theory of US being an immigrants paradise, the reality was that immigrants had to face a lot of ridicule, discrimination and exploitation. In a way this really fired them and many of them later successfully integrated into the American society. But though they were successful, the elite never accepted them. They scorned them as lacking class, and noveau riche people. This attitude is seen in the case of William Kane, when he ridicules his son for falling in love with a stupid Pollack’s daughter.
On the flip side, the love story of Richard and Florentyna, is quite a yawn, and seems straight out of a Bollywood movie. Also the pace slacks a bit in the later half when Abel starts to make his fortune. But I would still recommend this book to read the fascinating tale of rivalry between these two men, which in a way is also the story of how America grew.