Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
242nd out of 726 books
—
1,237 voters
Paradise Alley
by
Kevin Baker (Goodreads Author)
They came by boat from a starving land--and by the Underground Railroad from Southern chains--seeking refuge in a crowded, filthy corner of hell at the bottom of a great metropolis. But in the terrible July of 1863, the poor and desperate of Paradise Alley would face a new catastrophe--as flames from the war that was tearing America in two reached out to set their city on...more
Paperback, 704 pages
Published
January 3rd 2006
by Harper Perennial
(first published 2002)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,141)
I ran across this book by accident, and I am very glad that I did. Kevin Baker does an amazing job of bringing historical fiction to life. This novel takes place during the Civil War draft riots in the 19th century, and examines the events from a variety of perspectives. There are numerous storylines which intertwine at different point, and there are numerous characters that are developed. My only criticism was that it was difficult to follow the many different characters at first, but after a f...more
If it was not for the length of the book i would give it 4 stars, but not more. The book is overall about 7 characters, 3 of them who originally came to ireland, who live in NYC during the 1863 draft riots.
The first 400 pages of the book are about Ruth, an irish girl, who came over to the US with Dolan (a brute she met over in ireland and who saved her life). His entire family died during the potato famine of the 40s and he's going to NYC where his Sister Deirdre lives. She is married to Tom wh...more
The first 400 pages of the book are about Ruth, an irish girl, who came over to the US with Dolan (a brute she met over in ireland and who saved her life). His entire family died during the potato famine of the 40s and he's going to NYC where his Sister Deirdre lives. She is married to Tom wh...more
I enjoyed "Dreamland," but thought "Paradise Alley" was better. His research into the time period was thorough and fascinating. For those who gave up or are thinking of giving up on "Paradise Alley": Be patient. It's a large, heavy book, but it's worth the time and energy.
Organized by character (similar to Game of Thrones, but actually Irish rather than pseudo-Irish), each chapter follows a particular person over the course of the 1863 draft riots. The stories are overlapping and interwoven, som...more
Organized by character (similar to Game of Thrones, but actually Irish rather than pseudo-Irish), each chapter follows a particular person over the course of the 1863 draft riots. The stories are overlapping and interwoven, som...more
Hot with fervor over Kevin Baker’s Dreamland I moved on to Paradise Alley. Even though much of Dreamland revolves around Coney Island, Baker’s attention is never far from the Lower East Side. And it is on the lower east side that Paradise Alley is located, though we’re moved back in time thirty or forty years for this one--the 1863 New York riots in response to the Civil War draft.
Paradise Alley is a small street populated by a mix of economic and racial folks. We’re concerned with three househ...more
Paradise Alley is a small street populated by a mix of economic and racial folks. We’re concerned with three househ...more
Brilliant! Mr. Baker weaves a compelling story I found hard to put down. His descriptions of the potato famine in Ireland and hte poorest of the poor who came to this country to live in the slums of New York city are truly wrenching. I think this book is very relevant today and all those who wish to do away with our government should see what it was like when chalk could be sold to the poor as milk because there was no government regulation. A time when there was no help for soldier's families s...more
Total pages:676 By: Kevin Baker
Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker takes place during the civil war. The setting of this story is in New York. The news has spread that a military draft is coming there way. As the military draft comes we follow the lives of three different women and their will to survive in such a hectic time. All three of their husbands are in the military and they all have children to protect and take care of so they are all worried about the safety of their husbands and the safety...more
Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker takes place during the civil war. The setting of this story is in New York. The news has spread that a military draft is coming there way. As the military draft comes we follow the lives of three different women and their will to survive in such a hectic time. All three of their husbands are in the military and they all have children to protect and take care of so they are all worried about the safety of their husbands and the safety...more
I decided to reread Paradise Alley after reading Striver's Row earlier this summer; one of the main characters in Striver's Row is the grandson of major characters in Paradise Alley so I wanted to refresh my memory of the earlier book. I'm glad I did, because I now have a wonderful vision in my mind of Baker's panorama of human migration, and the many ways it shaped the city I know and love. The story of two great waves of European immigration (Irish in the 1840s and '50s; Jewish between the 188...more
Bakers diligent research, and writing prowess brings an intricate narrative weaving of truth and imagination that completely immerses the reader in the fight for survival in 19th century New York City.
While there are an infinite array of threads to this story, the major character focus is on the three women of the saga, all residents of the waterfront slum called Paradise Alley. Having survived everything from the Irish famine to slavery and prostitution, they find themselves once again struggl...more
While there are an infinite array of threads to this story, the major character focus is on the three women of the saga, all residents of the waterfront slum called Paradise Alley. Having survived everything from the Irish famine to slavery and prostitution, they find themselves once again struggl...more
It's hard to describe how much I enjoyed this novel, as well as how shocked I was to have done so. There are many elements of the book's paratext I found off-putting. It comes with a cast of characters and a glossary of potentially unfamiliar terms. It is historical fiction, a genre I rarely gravitate towards. Yet despite such "shortcomings," this books was so compelling and masterful I found myself fully engrossed in its massive 665 pages from very early on (much to the detriment of other thing...more
Baker does a fine job capturing various character perspectives of this historical (fictional) account of the 1863 urban conflagration during the unrest of the Civil War. The horror of a mob is captured completely as one watches people who are benign most of the time, suddenly become terrors without any sort of regret. And just as quickly, upon dissipation of the mob, these same people can go back to being incredibly humane.
Basically, the novel takes place over the course of a few days although...more
Basically, the novel takes place over the course of a few days although...more
I have had this book in my stack to read for many months. It belongs to my daughter Lisa.
Finally got to that part of the stack and read the book. Boy am I glad I did. Excellent read. Fiction, but historically based relative to the draft riots in NYC in 1863 - when President Lincoln announced a new draft to fight the war.
Lots of details regarding sites in NYC, pretty good development of a number of characters, too.
It was really a good read.
I learned that there were - indeed - some Irish that foug...more
Finally got to that part of the stack and read the book. Boy am I glad I did. Excellent read. Fiction, but historically based relative to the draft riots in NYC in 1863 - when President Lincoln announced a new draft to fight the war.
Lots of details regarding sites in NYC, pretty good development of a number of characters, too.
It was really a good read.
I learned that there were - indeed - some Irish that foug...more
I knew nothing about the draft riots before I read this book. It was amazing that this part of our history isn't something we learn in school. This novel is an exciting, fast paced, engrossing read.
I also LOVED the description of the Irish famine, it was horrible and vividly real.
I also LOVED the description of the Irish famine, it was horrible and vividly real.
One of my all-time great "accidental discoveries" when I worked in a bookshop. A fabulously readable story of Irish immigrants, freed slaves, and working class New Yorkers struggling to survive in the chaos of the city amid the violence of the Civil War Draft Riots of 1863.
A fictional account of the dreadful July 1863 draft riots in New York. The book tells the story of Ruth, whose family died in Ireland, and who is taken in by Johnny Dolan (Dangerous Johnny Dolan), not out of kindness, but because he needs a housekeeper and sex partner. Dolan brings Ruth to "Amerikay," where she meets Billy Dove a black freedman and falls in love with him. When Johnny Dolan kills an old man for his gold-headed cane, Ruth, Billy, and Johnny's sister Deidre have him shanghaied and...more
I love me some good sagas, and this was interesting enough to read in its entirety on two plane rides, forgoing such enthralling film selections as "Valentine's Day" in the process. However, I'm not sure why so many top-level newspapers rated it a best book of the year. Perhaps it's the level of detail presented about low-income life in New York City leading up to and during the Civil War, which is certainly rich (and the NYC of the mid-19th century sounds much worse off than every city I've eve...more
Great story about the New York City draft riots.
This was a very enjoyable, compelling read. I love historical novels and this was so well-written that I felt almost like I was there watching the events, rather than reading about them. It was very hard to put the book down until I was finished. The character development is strong and the description of major historical events is thorough. Anyone familiar with NYC history will recognize certain names and places. The best part of this book is that Kevin Baker illustrates three different places:...more
I found this historical novel to be well-written and carefully researched. The characters were interesting, and their intertwined stories very gripping. There were so many details that I had never been aware of from this time in history. I still can't believe that the people of New York City, even 140 years ago, lived in such horrific conditions. Baker pulls you into the city, and the story, by giving you a complete vision of the time period. For any person who has an interest in history, and a...more
This is on my top five list of best books I've ever read. I will never forget Ruth and Billy Dove. So many pieces of this sometimes disturbing book stay with me. Baker is a phenomenal historical fiction writer or should I just say writer. I have read all three books in the New York trilogy and passed the along to others. They are gritty, honest, painful, heartbreaking, exciting, and educational. I wish he would write more.
After reading Rutherfurd's extremely ambitious historical fiction book "Ne...more
After reading Rutherfurd's extremely ambitious historical fiction book "Ne...more
The best book out the the city of fire trilogy, Paradise Alley had an amazing focus in regards to events surrounding the draft riots of the 1800s. Well paced and excellent use of complex characters. Not as many characters as "Dreamland" which is a good thing. It helped with connecting. Because some of these real life characters that were used were so obscure, the author was really able to have his way and interpret in how they would behave. You can tell he had fun with this.
This is the second of the 'City of Fire' Trilogy, and I have to say it didn't meet my high expectations. Where Dreamland drew me in right away and I was sucked into the story, I just couldn't hook into any of the story lines of Paradise Alley in the same way. The book is quite long and I was aware of its length every step of the way. It is impressive, however, how closely Baker is able to mirror the fiction to real life events; it must be a huge undertaking research-wise.
Unforgettable and suspenseful chronicle of a handful of contrasting, separate, but overlapping lives of NYC residents set around the Civil War, Irish immigration, political corruption, and draft riots. I read this years ago but the characters and their stories are still vivid. Way better than Gangs of New York but same time frame. It's one of the best historical novels I've ever read.
I really loved reading this book. I liked the way each chapter was told from a different character's perspective and the way the stories wove together. I learned new things about the history of our country and it made me want to read more, particularly about Irish immigration. It was a long book 600+ pages and only covered 3 days in time but it never felt tedious or drawn out.
This book was okay: started slow, got much more exciting, and ended leaving some storylines dangling, although it summarized the period philisophically. The historical detail was captivating and the characters were complex; as the tale moved along, I changed my views about two of the characters (Robinson- went from liking him to hating him and Dangerous Johnny Dolan - went from hating him to pity). Sometimes the story seemed a little wordy; it was much better when there was some action, or when...more
This was my third attempt at reading this book. I finally choked down the first few chapters and got into reading the actual story. It was interesting and had several good plot lines but never really pulled together to be noteworthy. It could have been better if whole portions were discarded and Baker had used more focus.
A compelling work of historical fiction, painting a riveting tale of New York City during the Civil War. The perspective of the Irish immigrant, the runaway slave and a city and nation in turmoil, telling the story of the New York City Draft Riots in a manner I had not been exposed to previously.
I just finished this book last night. I read it in one day-it was all day long but it was good. For anyone who likes history it's a great indside look at the five points riots during the civil war draft of 1863. You get the backstory and point of view of about 7 different intertwined characters.
Kevin Baker is my new favorite writer of historical fiction. Paradise Alley draws heavily on the events of the Irish famine in the mid-19th century; the creation of Central Park, which wiped out poor and African-American communities in that area (most notably, Seneca Village); and the draft riots of 1863. The book's narrative is largely set over the three days of the draft riots, with reflections/flashbacks by many of the main characters, on their personal histories that brought them to this poi...more
I struggled with getting into the story. I developed a good appreciation of the NY Irish life in the Civil War period. It was blund and brutal in parts - maybe another time I would have a different feeling on the book.
After reading Kevin Baker's Dreamland (which was great) I wanted to read the second in his series, Paradise Alley. If you are a fan of historical fiction, NYC history, or both, these are must reads (I haven't read the third in the series yet).
While I really enjoyed the book it felt a couple hundred pages too long. That said, it was a enjoyable read. The description of the Irish Famine was fascinating, as was the Civil War battlefield descriptions and the gory details of the riots itself. The la...more
While I really enjoyed the book it felt a couple hundred pages too long. That said, it was a enjoyable read. The description of the Irish Famine was fascinating, as was the Civil War battlefield descriptions and the gory details of the riots itself. The la...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Kevin Baker is the author of the New York, City of Fire trilogy: Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Strivers Row. Most recently, he's been writing about politics for Harper's Magazine and the New York Observer.
More about Kevin Baker...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
