I did a series of reviews on this novel at our blog. Here are links to each review:
http://www.thelionrampant.net/archives/2005/gilead-part-1/
http://www.thelionrampant.net/archives/2005/gilead-part-2/
http://www.thelionrampant.net/archives/2005/gilead-part-3/
http://www.thelionrampant.net/archives/2005/gilead-part-4/
http://www.thelionrampant.net/archives/2005/gilead-part-5/

Wrote review for the Journal of American Studies. Hopefully they publish it. Wide-ranging and impressive look at panAmerican literary history between 1820s to 1850s. Great at making connections, new views on classics and rescues some more obscure literary work. On the whole a bit too ambitious in its scope although is bound to be influential in the offshoots it produces.