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Palisades Park
Bestseller Alan Brennert's spellbinding story about a family of dreamers and their lives within the legendary Palisades Amusement Park
Growing up in the 1930s, there is no more magical place than Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey―especially for seven-year-old Antoinette, who horrifies her mother by insisting on the unladylike nickname Toni, and her brother, Jack. Toni helps her parents, Eddie and Adele Stopka, at the stand where they sell homemade French fries amid the roar of the Cyclone roller coaster. There is also the lure of the world's biggest salt-water pool, complete with divers whose astonishing stunts inspire Toni, despite her mother's insistence that girls can't be high divers.
But a family of dreamers doesn't always share the same dreams, and then the world There's the Great Depression, and Pearl Harbor, which hits home in ways that will split the family apart; and perils like fire and race riots in the park. Both Eddie and Jack face the dangers of war, while Adele has ambitions of her own―and Toni is determined to take on a very different kind of danger in impossible feats as a high diver. Yet they are all drawn back to each other―and to Palisades Park―until the park closes forever in 1971.
Evocative and moving, with the trademark brilliance at transforming historical events into irresistible fiction that made Alan Brennert's Moloka'i and Honolulu into reading group favorites, Palisades Park takes us back to a time when life seemed simpler―except, of course, it wasn't.
Growing up in the 1930s, there is no more magical place than Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey―especially for seven-year-old Antoinette, who horrifies her mother by insisting on the unladylike nickname Toni, and her brother, Jack. Toni helps her parents, Eddie and Adele Stopka, at the stand where they sell homemade French fries amid the roar of the Cyclone roller coaster. There is also the lure of the world's biggest salt-water pool, complete with divers whose astonishing stunts inspire Toni, despite her mother's insistence that girls can't be high divers.
But a family of dreamers doesn't always share the same dreams, and then the world There's the Great Depression, and Pearl Harbor, which hits home in ways that will split the family apart; and perils like fire and race riots in the park. Both Eddie and Jack face the dangers of war, while Adele has ambitions of her own―and Toni is determined to take on a very different kind of danger in impossible feats as a high diver. Yet they are all drawn back to each other―and to Palisades Park―until the park closes forever in 1971.
Evocative and moving, with the trademark brilliance at transforming historical events into irresistible fiction that made Alan Brennert's Moloka'i and Honolulu into reading group favorites, Palisades Park takes us back to a time when life seemed simpler―except, of course, it wasn't.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
297 people are currently reading
9190 people want to read
About the author
Alan Brennert
75 books2,205 followersAlan Brennert is the author of the historical novels Palisades Park, Honolulu (chosen one of the best books of 2009 by The Washington Post), and Moloka'i, which won the 2006 Bookies Award, sponsored by the Contra Costa Library, for the Book Club Book of the Year (and has sold over 600,000 copies since publication). It was also a 2012 One Book, One San Diego selection. He has won an Emmy Award and a People's Choice Award for his work as a writer-producer on the television series L.A. Law, and his short story "Ma Qui" was honored with a Nebula Award. His new novel, Daughter of Moloka'i, will be published by St. Martin's Press on February 19, 2019. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alan.brennert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,147 reviews
May 1, 2013
My rating is 4.5 to be exact. This book was just a good old fashioned read. For me, that never goes out of style. There are no moral dilemmas that you have to unravel. There are no symbolic flights of fancy leaving you wondering if you are missing big chunks of meaning. There is no show-offy writing that makes you pay more attention to the writing than the plot.
What you do have is an engaging story that vividly evokes a time and place---Palisades Park NJ during its heyday (1920's-1971). I could smell the French fries soaked in vinegar and hear the clank of the old wooden roller coaster. As a child in the 50's I clearly remember the huge appeal of amusement parks----food, smells, ballys, creaky rides, daring stunts and freaky sideshows. This book did much more than take me back there; it let me I side the inner workings.
The Stopkas were a family who lived, dreamed and suffered. Each one of them brought something important to the story. Through it all, the park anchored them and allowed them to dream bigger dreams. As decades pass, they live through a Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II and the Civil Rights movement. The scenes at Palisades Park when blacks attempted to swim in the all white salt water pool were especially powerful. Toni is a strong willed, beautiful, daredevil diver who repeatedly had to make tough life decisions. She and her dad were the most engaging characters for me. The story unfolded at a comfortable pace, never losing its sense of place.
I became an Alan Brennert fan after reading Molokai. As with that wonderful story, he meticulously researches his topic (helped that he grew up a mile from Palisades Park) then creates a delicious story. As a reader, I so appreciate writers who spend time crafting their stories and don't try to churn out books in quick succession. I will look forward to his next book. I expect it will be worth the wait.
What you do have is an engaging story that vividly evokes a time and place---Palisades Park NJ during its heyday (1920's-1971). I could smell the French fries soaked in vinegar and hear the clank of the old wooden roller coaster. As a child in the 50's I clearly remember the huge appeal of amusement parks----food, smells, ballys, creaky rides, daring stunts and freaky sideshows. This book did much more than take me back there; it let me I side the inner workings.
The Stopkas were a family who lived, dreamed and suffered. Each one of them brought something important to the story. Through it all, the park anchored them and allowed them to dream bigger dreams. As decades pass, they live through a Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II and the Civil Rights movement. The scenes at Palisades Park when blacks attempted to swim in the all white salt water pool were especially powerful. Toni is a strong willed, beautiful, daredevil diver who repeatedly had to make tough life decisions. She and her dad were the most engaging characters for me. The story unfolded at a comfortable pace, never losing its sense of place.
I became an Alan Brennert fan after reading Molokai. As with that wonderful story, he meticulously researches his topic (helped that he grew up a mile from Palisades Park) then creates a delicious story. As a reader, I so appreciate writers who spend time crafting their stories and don't try to churn out books in quick succession. I will look forward to his next book. I expect it will be worth the wait.
May 3, 2013
December 2012
PLEASE let this be as good as Honolulu and Moloka'i!
May 2013
This is a hard book to review. Alan Brennert became one of my favorite authors after reading Moloka'i and Honolulu. This book was odd though in that the main character really seemed to be Palisades Park. The rest of the main characters seemed to be supporting roles. I do think they were well developed but I never could see the direction the book was going because I couldn't really tell what the book was about besides the life and evolution of the park. I'm sure this would be amazing for those familiar with the park because Brennert did such a good job with the imagery that it felt like I was there hearing the sounds and smelling the carnival food. Compared to Honolulu and Moloka'i where there was a definite storyline this one seemed more like just a sequence of events. The only part of the book that bothered me was Adele. Definitely not a big fan of hers. Ultimately I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the way Alan Brennert writes. I will definitely pick up his next book hoping he steers back toward the great storylines that make him one of my favorites.
PLEASE let this be as good as Honolulu and Moloka'i!
May 2013
This is a hard book to review. Alan Brennert became one of my favorite authors after reading Moloka'i and Honolulu. This book was odd though in that the main character really seemed to be Palisades Park. The rest of the main characters seemed to be supporting roles. I do think they were well developed but I never could see the direction the book was going because I couldn't really tell what the book was about besides the life and evolution of the park. I'm sure this would be amazing for those familiar with the park because Brennert did such a good job with the imagery that it felt like I was there hearing the sounds and smelling the carnival food. Compared to Honolulu and Moloka'i where there was a definite storyline this one seemed more like just a sequence of events. The only part of the book that bothered me was Adele. Definitely not a big fan of hers. Ultimately I enjoyed the book because I enjoy the way Alan Brennert writes. I will definitely pick up his next book hoping he steers back toward the great storylines that make him one of my favorites.
April 15, 2013
Alan Brennert is a gifted storyteller. (As with "Molokai' and "Hololulu").
This book is a wonderful tribute to the famous Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey --(a mile from where Alan himself lived as child).
The characters are irresistible --
The historical fiction is well researched --
The family challenges between the characters feel real -- --(intimate).
Visuals and smells come alive while taking this "Palisades Park" journey.
For me: there were a 'few' times in the book when I wanted to 'rush-ahead' in my reading --because it seemed to me as if Alan repeated scenes more than once 'or' twice. (so I was a little impatient in those parts) --but it was 'very' few for me. ---
Overall...this is a very engaging-entertaining read.
Oh...and to give a little 'flavor' of a conversation between two characters in this book which I found completely charming, I'll share something Alan wrote in his book (of course out of context) ---
but it brought back memories of when I was a little girl watching my older sister do her hair:
"Minette lifted an inch-wide section of Toni's hair and began twisting it around in her index finger-- each loop outside the last loop --until you have a curl. Then slide your finger out and pin it in place, like this."
"She laid the loop of hair flat against the side of Toni's head, then clipped a couple of bobby pins, crossing each other like an X, through it.
Now You Try".
I just have one question??? From whom did Alan research his 'hair' curling techniques? He was 'dead-on' with his research! lol
This book is a wonderful tribute to the famous Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey --(a mile from where Alan himself lived as child).
The characters are irresistible --
The historical fiction is well researched --
The family challenges between the characters feel real -- --(intimate).
Visuals and smells come alive while taking this "Palisades Park" journey.
For me: there were a 'few' times in the book when I wanted to 'rush-ahead' in my reading --because it seemed to me as if Alan repeated scenes more than once 'or' twice. (so I was a little impatient in those parts) --but it was 'very' few for me. ---
Overall...this is a very engaging-entertaining read.
Oh...and to give a little 'flavor' of a conversation between two characters in this book which I found completely charming, I'll share something Alan wrote in his book (of course out of context) ---
but it brought back memories of when I was a little girl watching my older sister do her hair:
"Minette lifted an inch-wide section of Toni's hair and began twisting it around in her index finger-- each loop outside the last loop --until you have a curl. Then slide your finger out and pin it in place, like this."
"She laid the loop of hair flat against the side of Toni's head, then clipped a couple of bobby pins, crossing each other like an X, through it.
Now You Try".
I just have one question??? From whom did Alan research his 'hair' curling techniques? He was 'dead-on' with his research! lol
May 13, 2013
I was really disappointed in this book. While it had a great cover and a promising concept, the writing was flat and not engaging at all. The author bit off more than he could chew with trying to encompass such a long time period and so many events in such a short novel. This book would have been better had it perhaps spanned only one summer and delved more in to the characters. As it was, the characters were unlikable and always seemed like aquaintances, rather than people you were getting to know. Also, once he got in to civil rights nonsense, I completely lost interest. As a Jersey shore girl, I was looking forward to a romp through the familiar environment of the boardwalk amusement park and instead got....not much. Most of what was presented seemed to be thrown in for cliche sake of how many references could be jammed in, with not much descriptive writing of what it's like to work at an amusement park or of the characters themselves.
August 14, 2013
CAPTIVATING NOSTALGIA.
“Evenings at the Stopka home, as in most homes in America, revolved around the welcoming voice of the radio—a tall, mahogany-veneer Philco console, standing solemn as a church organ in the corner, the family gathered round in secular congregation.”—page 97/423
With his third novel, PALISADES PARK, Alan Brennert has cemented his place among the twenty-or-so of my ‘top-ten’ all time favorite storytellers. He writes, in the Author’s Notes, “This novel is a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood.”—page 414/423. It is, indeed, a love letter, a delightful and warm love story of wondrous times and places, and of days gone by.
New Jersey is a very long way from Hawaii (the setting for Alan’s first two beautiful novels), and I’ll admit to a twinge of disappointment when I first learned that his third would be set in Bergen County, New Jersey. I should have known better. Mr. Brennert’s storytelling doesn’t disappoint. It captivates, it enthralls, it uplifts, and it brings a tear to the eye; but it never disappoints. To tens of thousands of ‘Jersey’ kids, over seven decades—myself included on at least two occasions(1)—Palisades Park was every bit of a paradise, as Hawaii could ever have been, to their imaginations.
Thank-you, A.B., for sharing the wonder and amazement. I could smell the French Fries.
Recommendation: Read only if you love reading terrific stories.
“I look like Emmett Kelly!”—page 101/423
NOOKbook from Barnes & Noble, 423 pages
(1)P.S. In the early 1960s my brother took me on my first ever, and only, (ten-minute) helicopter ride, along the Hudson River, out of Palisades Park. We had a spectacular view of the New York City skyline. During that same visit I saw Timi Yuro, one of my favorite vocalists at the time, perform. A decade earlier, I think it was at Palisades Park that I saw an act called The Riding Lion—a roaring (albeit perhaps a bit sleepy) lion sat in the sidecar of a motorcycle and was driven up and around the vertical wall of a large wooden cylinder, closer and closer to the spectators along the rim at the top. If anyone else remembers either Timi Yuro or The Riding Lion… let me hear from you. ...ged
“Evenings at the Stopka home, as in most homes in America, revolved around the welcoming voice of the radio—a tall, mahogany-veneer Philco console, standing solemn as a church organ in the corner, the family gathered round in secular congregation.”—page 97/423
With his third novel, PALISADES PARK, Alan Brennert has cemented his place among the twenty-or-so of my ‘top-ten’ all time favorite storytellers. He writes, in the Author’s Notes, “This novel is a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood.”—page 414/423. It is, indeed, a love letter, a delightful and warm love story of wondrous times and places, and of days gone by.
New Jersey is a very long way from Hawaii (the setting for Alan’s first two beautiful novels), and I’ll admit to a twinge of disappointment when I first learned that his third would be set in Bergen County, New Jersey. I should have known better. Mr. Brennert’s storytelling doesn’t disappoint. It captivates, it enthralls, it uplifts, and it brings a tear to the eye; but it never disappoints. To tens of thousands of ‘Jersey’ kids, over seven decades—myself included on at least two occasions(1)—Palisades Park was every bit of a paradise, as Hawaii could ever have been, to their imaginations.
Thank-you, A.B., for sharing the wonder and amazement. I could smell the French Fries.
Recommendation: Read only if you love reading terrific stories.
“I look like Emmett Kelly!”—page 101/423
NOOKbook from Barnes & Noble, 423 pages
(1)P.S. In the early 1960s my brother took me on my first ever, and only, (ten-minute) helicopter ride, along the Hudson River, out of Palisades Park. We had a spectacular view of the New York City skyline. During that same visit I saw Timi Yuro, one of my favorite vocalists at the time, perform. A decade earlier, I think it was at Palisades Park that I saw an act called The Riding Lion—a roaring (albeit perhaps a bit sleepy) lion sat in the sidecar of a motorcycle and was driven up and around the vertical wall of a large wooden cylinder, closer and closer to the spectators along the rim at the top. If anyone else remembers either Timi Yuro or The Riding Lion… let me hear from you. ...ged
July 25, 2020
PALISADES PARK
Alan Brennert
Find this title on the website http://bit.ly/121C4AB
The author of this poignant, literary saga has called his novel, “a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood”. It is that and so much more as he weaves together fact and fiction to present his readers a nostalgic look at a famous park and the hardworking people who became family through the good times and the bad.
Beginning in 1922 when the park opened until 1974 for the five decades the park survived the triumph and tragedies are magically brought to life in this wonderful book. Each of these events is part and parcel of the story: The Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, the Civil Rights mohttp://bit.ly/121C4ABvement, New Jersey mobsters, corrupt police, a devastating fire and the impact all of these events had on the Stopka family.
Eddie Stopka becomes a concessionaire whose booth sells the fragrant, delicious French fries everyone loves. He meets his wife Adele there, and they become partners in life and in their business. They have two children, Toni and Jack whose lives become a part of the park and the hardworking employees who were actual people who spent most of their lives in the park. (This is a historical touch that was a fabulous insight into the carnies, the freak shows, the rides and the people who owned and ran the park).
Each of the Stopkas has dreams, Toni wants to be a high dive artist, Jack wants to be an artist and Adele wants to be in show business. Life and circumstances have a way of interfering, and following their paths is a great reading adventure.
Palisades Park is a sweeping, lush and gripping tale of a family and a fabulous tribute to the famous Palisades Amusement Park.
Don’t miss this one.
Alan Brennert
Find this title on the website http://bit.ly/121C4AB
The author of this poignant, literary saga has called his novel, “a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood”. It is that and so much more as he weaves together fact and fiction to present his readers a nostalgic look at a famous park and the hardworking people who became family through the good times and the bad.
Beginning in 1922 when the park opened until 1974 for the five decades the park survived the triumph and tragedies are magically brought to life in this wonderful book. Each of these events is part and parcel of the story: The Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, the Civil Rights mohttp://bit.ly/121C4ABvement, New Jersey mobsters, corrupt police, a devastating fire and the impact all of these events had on the Stopka family.
Eddie Stopka becomes a concessionaire whose booth sells the fragrant, delicious French fries everyone loves. He meets his wife Adele there, and they become partners in life and in their business. They have two children, Toni and Jack whose lives become a part of the park and the hardworking employees who were actual people who spent most of their lives in the park. (This is a historical touch that was a fabulous insight into the carnies, the freak shows, the rides and the people who owned and ran the park).
Each of the Stopkas has dreams, Toni wants to be a high dive artist, Jack wants to be an artist and Adele wants to be in show business. Life and circumstances have a way of interfering, and following their paths is a great reading adventure.
Palisades Park is a sweeping, lush and gripping tale of a family and a fabulous tribute to the famous Palisades Amusement Park.
Don’t miss this one.
August 27, 2013
Read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com
My feelings about "Palisades Park" could best be compared with the way Clark Griswold feels when he reaches Wally World and punches the moose in the face. Despite the alluring cover art, the choppy writing and multitude of characters in "Palisades Park" wasn't for me. Although the story's heroine is Toni, the book didn't begin to focus on her life until 70 pages into the novel. The entire beginning of the novel was already slow, but then it seemed pointless as well. For example, the meeting of her parents received a lot of attention early on even though it didn't appear to be crucial to Toni's story. This book was a smattering of too many characters and plot directions, none of which worked. The major world events included in the novel really didn't seem to serve much of a point. This novel was all over the place, and was one I wish I had skipped.
My feelings about "Palisades Park" could best be compared with the way Clark Griswold feels when he reaches Wally World and punches the moose in the face. Despite the alluring cover art, the choppy writing and multitude of characters in "Palisades Park" wasn't for me. Although the story's heroine is Toni, the book didn't begin to focus on her life until 70 pages into the novel. The entire beginning of the novel was already slow, but then it seemed pointless as well. For example, the meeting of her parents received a lot of attention early on even though it didn't appear to be crucial to Toni's story. This book was a smattering of too many characters and plot directions, none of which worked. The major world events included in the novel really didn't seem to serve much of a point. This novel was all over the place, and was one I wish I had skipped.
February 7, 2013
Alan Brennert won me over with “Molokai” so I was eager to read another novel by this multitalented author (+ tv producer + screenwriter). In Palisades Park, he pays tribute to the renowned Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. I was transported to the time and place of this legendary park during a volatile period in history and I felt invested in the story and its’ cast of characters. I did not want it to end. Wonderfully written.
September 7, 2013
Of course I'm reading this the week the carnival comes to my town. Yes I'm going. I can't resist after reading this book. Makes you crave cotton candy and you actually smell it in the air when you are reading this book. Wonderful story about a family and an amusement park from days past. I miss them.
July 20, 2021
Boring.A pity,Molokai was very good.
April 8, 2013
Look no further than Palisades Park by Alan Brennert for a magical place to spend happy hours of reading. Eddie and Adele Stopka, parents of Toni and Jack, sell vinegar-soaked French fries near the thunder of the Cyclone roller coaster. Toni is enthralled with the divers who do daredevil stunts in the largest salt-water pool in the world. This family of dreamers shares a love for Palisades Park, which becomes a character in itself. The park has an aura of camaraderie and daring. Vendors help each other through fire, sickness, poverty and loss. The park is populated with imaginative and creative people. Economic conditions drive the sixty-year-old high diver to attempt a dive off the George Washington Bridge to prove he still “has it”. Chief Little Wolf is an American Indian wrestler. Whitey, the ballroom manager, books black jazz musicians. Jolly Irene (six hundred and fifty pounds) says she’s not a star, but a galaxy.
Once enraptured with this Palisades park microcosm, the reader is swept up into World War II, its international implications, and effects on the Stopka’s. The independence of the Stopka family members shows up early when their fearless daughter Antoinette declares ”Toni” as her new name and begins high diving at age seven much to her mother’s horror. Soon they are torn apart by world events and their own independent natures. Struggles with fidelity, life ambitions and self-doubt widen the fissures between them.
The book spans 1922-1971 (the closing of the park). Some of the well-incorporated historical details include The Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats and peacetime draft, big band music, Hitler, Pearl Harbor, Mafia hits, discrimination, and the Korean War.
Alan Brennert grew up in Edgewater, New Jersey, at the foot of steep cliffs, a dramatic geologic feature near New York City. The legendary amusement park overlooks the New York City Skyline and the Hudson River. Brennert certainly knows his New Jersey history and geography. He takes us on a tour from the Hudson River down the New Jersey Turnpike to Fort Dix and the Steel Pier in Atlantic City.
The book is packed with period language, distinctive personalities and is full of warmth and compassion. The Stopka family is one story, but the people of Palisades Park resound as the real stars. While we worry for the Stopka’s, we cheer for the others. We are left with with a yearning to visit the legendary park.
The book is well researched (extensive citations in Author’s Note) as well as relevant because of the popularity of this legendary amusement park. Author Alan Brennert spent many happy childhood times there. Brennert is known for turning historical events and places into irresistible fiction and he is at the top of his game in Palisades Park. It’s hard to stop reading once you begin. Book groups will love this because of the extensive discussion it will prompt. New Jersey residents will appreciate his descriptions of the geography and cultural attractions. You will learn your history in this book (1922-1971) but it will be as fun as riding the Cyclone Roller Coaster. A winner!
Once enraptured with this Palisades park microcosm, the reader is swept up into World War II, its international implications, and effects on the Stopka’s. The independence of the Stopka family members shows up early when their fearless daughter Antoinette declares ”Toni” as her new name and begins high diving at age seven much to her mother’s horror. Soon they are torn apart by world events and their own independent natures. Struggles with fidelity, life ambitions and self-doubt widen the fissures between them.
The book spans 1922-1971 (the closing of the park). Some of the well-incorporated historical details include The Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats and peacetime draft, big band music, Hitler, Pearl Harbor, Mafia hits, discrimination, and the Korean War.
Alan Brennert grew up in Edgewater, New Jersey, at the foot of steep cliffs, a dramatic geologic feature near New York City. The legendary amusement park overlooks the New York City Skyline and the Hudson River. Brennert certainly knows his New Jersey history and geography. He takes us on a tour from the Hudson River down the New Jersey Turnpike to Fort Dix and the Steel Pier in Atlantic City.
The book is packed with period language, distinctive personalities and is full of warmth and compassion. The Stopka family is one story, but the people of Palisades Park resound as the real stars. While we worry for the Stopka’s, we cheer for the others. We are left with with a yearning to visit the legendary park.
The book is well researched (extensive citations in Author’s Note) as well as relevant because of the popularity of this legendary amusement park. Author Alan Brennert spent many happy childhood times there. Brennert is known for turning historical events and places into irresistible fiction and he is at the top of his game in Palisades Park. It’s hard to stop reading once you begin. Book groups will love this because of the extensive discussion it will prompt. New Jersey residents will appreciate his descriptions of the geography and cultural attractions. You will learn your history in this book (1922-1971) but it will be as fun as riding the Cyclone Roller Coaster. A winner!
April 23, 2013
Palisades Park
By
Alan Brennert
My " in a nutshell" summary...
The story of a family with a long interest and involvement in an amusement park...specifically Palisades Park!
My thoughts after reading this book...
Amazing, satisfying, absorbing...these truly were the thoughts running through my head when I finished Palisades Park. It's a family's story woven around major world events. It begins with the Stopka family and Eddie and his dad enjoying a day at Palisades Park...eating French Fries doused in salt and malt vinegar and ends with Eddie's son Jack writing a story about the wonders of Palisades Park. But in between are wars and the Depression and Prohibition and fires and Civil Rights and rationing and infidelity and emotions and death and rebuilding and so much more. It was sort of like looking at someone's family album and learning about the lives and events surrounding that one central family.
What I loved about this book...
I think I loved everything...there was not a character that was not fascinating or appealing. There were tons of characters and all of them had a story. From high diving life guard Bunty to Antoinette/Toni to Mimette to Toni's mom, Adele and Eddie...Toni's and Jack's father and his Hawaiian dream...everything was interesting. Learning about the history of Palisades Park was also delightful. The author has a special affinity with this park and it shows throughout this book.
Parts of the book that really made me stop and think...
I though about what it was like to feel discrimination in those early years and how sad it would have been to feel so hated. Rationing...saving bacon fat to help the way effort and actually just living through that particular war era when Americans worked so hard to help the men on the front.
Final thoughts...
This author wrote a wonderfully informative novel. I loved that it was a leisurely reading experience. It was beautifully written and when I read the very last word of this book...I was extremely satisfied!
By
Alan Brennert
My " in a nutshell" summary...
The story of a family with a long interest and involvement in an amusement park...specifically Palisades Park!
My thoughts after reading this book...
Amazing, satisfying, absorbing...these truly were the thoughts running through my head when I finished Palisades Park. It's a family's story woven around major world events. It begins with the Stopka family and Eddie and his dad enjoying a day at Palisades Park...eating French Fries doused in salt and malt vinegar and ends with Eddie's son Jack writing a story about the wonders of Palisades Park. But in between are wars and the Depression and Prohibition and fires and Civil Rights and rationing and infidelity and emotions and death and rebuilding and so much more. It was sort of like looking at someone's family album and learning about the lives and events surrounding that one central family.
What I loved about this book...
I think I loved everything...there was not a character that was not fascinating or appealing. There were tons of characters and all of them had a story. From high diving life guard Bunty to Antoinette/Toni to Mimette to Toni's mom, Adele and Eddie...Toni's and Jack's father and his Hawaiian dream...everything was interesting. Learning about the history of Palisades Park was also delightful. The author has a special affinity with this park and it shows throughout this book.
Parts of the book that really made me stop and think...
I though about what it was like to feel discrimination in those early years and how sad it would have been to feel so hated. Rationing...saving bacon fat to help the way effort and actually just living through that particular war era when Americans worked so hard to help the men on the front.
Final thoughts...
This author wrote a wonderfully informative novel. I loved that it was a leisurely reading experience. It was beautifully written and when I read the very last word of this book...I was extremely satisfied!
May 31, 2013
4.5 STARS! The author calls PALISADED PARK " a love letter to a cherished part of my childhood." It is the history of the New Jersey amusement park and its people from 1922 to about 1974. While reading this book, you will smell French fries, hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn and purple popsicles. You will hear the click clack of wooden rollercoasters, the screams and laughter of delighted visitors, and the lure of the concessioners. You will see high divers, oddities, vintage clothing, and blinking billboards. And in the mist of this sensual feast, you will experience the horrors of world wars, racial discrimination, organized crime, and natural and man made disasters along with love, marriage, betrayal, and forgiveness.
I enjoyed this book. A great deal of the story centers around a woman high diver. At about 85%, this subject started to loose me, hence my 4.5 stars. However, the overall story was so very well written and researched I couldn't give it just 4 stars. An added plus for me is I live in New Jersey.
I enjoyed this book. A great deal of the story centers around a woman high diver. At about 85%, this subject started to loose me, hence my 4.5 stars. However, the overall story was so very well written and researched I couldn't give it just 4 stars. An added plus for me is I live in New Jersey.
May 6, 2013
This book was just OK. For the first 2/3 or so I wasn't sure whose story it was supposed to be. I knew more about the park than any of the characters. It read more like a documentary and the actions of the family were just that. Dry, non dramatic actions taking place on the backdrop of the park, which is the real star. I didn't sympathize with any of the characters, I didn't buy the motivations that the author was selling. I wasn't sure why I was supposed to care for them except as props to learn more about this park. It wasn't until the last 1/3 when the sport of high diving becomes the main topic that I was actually engaged in the story. I became very curious about the park and did some research on it afterwards and I appreciated how much of its history was interwoven throughout the story, I just wish I was able to invest more in the characters themselves.
June 18, 2021
My final covid-reading shelf book, since CA has lifted the restrictions. Let's hope it's for good!
I do LOVE a good family saga, and that's exactly what this is with lots of history and nostalgia of a magical very real place called Palisades Park. Palisades Park amusement park spanned decades and we witness the park through the eyes of a family and friends who grew up there during adolescent and adult years, whether by enjoying the park as children or working or performing there as adults.
As with the three books I've read by this author, Alan Brennert really has a knack of weaving a story with the perfect blend of fiction and fact. Many of the key "characters" in the book are in fact real life people. I was fortunate that my copy had an Author's Note at the end where Alan Brennert shared not only his personal attachment to Palisades Park but included some photos of these people as well. I also enjoyed Googling Palisades Park over the many years it was in existence.
At the heart of the story is the fictional Eddie Stopka and his family; Eddie is a Polish Catholic and I was delighted to read this book in June as I spied June 24 on my wall calendar; June 24 is St. John the Baptist Day, where St. John would bless the waters and protect swimmers from drowning. Since I grew up in an Italian Catholic household, I got a real kick out of this and reading how Eddie's grandmother wouldn't let anyone go swimming before June 24; Eddie's grandmother would be very similar to my own Nonie (RIP).
So grab a bit of the beach, pool, or your own backyard; some cotton candy, fries, a hot dog and lemonaide and get ready to sink into this saga.
I do LOVE a good family saga, and that's exactly what this is with lots of history and nostalgia of a magical very real place called Palisades Park. Palisades Park amusement park spanned decades and we witness the park through the eyes of a family and friends who grew up there during adolescent and adult years, whether by enjoying the park as children or working or performing there as adults.
As with the three books I've read by this author, Alan Brennert really has a knack of weaving a story with the perfect blend of fiction and fact. Many of the key "characters" in the book are in fact real life people. I was fortunate that my copy had an Author's Note at the end where Alan Brennert shared not only his personal attachment to Palisades Park but included some photos of these people as well. I also enjoyed Googling Palisades Park over the many years it was in existence.
At the heart of the story is the fictional Eddie Stopka and his family; Eddie is a Polish Catholic and I was delighted to read this book in June as I spied June 24 on my wall calendar; June 24 is St. John the Baptist Day, where St. John would bless the waters and protect swimmers from drowning. Since I grew up in an Italian Catholic household, I got a real kick out of this and reading how Eddie's grandmother wouldn't let anyone go swimming before June 24; Eddie's grandmother would be very similar to my own Nonie (RIP).
So grab a bit of the beach, pool, or your own backyard; some cotton candy, fries, a hot dog and lemonaide and get ready to sink into this saga.
May 26, 2013
I've been reading books all year waiting for one to captivate me. For one that I want to recommend to others. For one that when I put it down it stays with me. This is that book.
Overall, it's not a gripping story. There is nothing fast paced or gimmicky. It is a solid story about a real NJ amusement park with real people, their struggles, their triumphs, their failures, their successes. It made me long to visit a place like Palisades Park. In a way it makes me think of my childhood memories of going to the shore in NJ each year. The memories, the impact on my life, the time spent with family. In this case, the family in the book is a part of the park as much as the park is a part of their lives. In fact, the park is their life - their childhood memories,, their joy, their livelihood, their sorrows, their everything.
I loved this book.
So often authors who "do their research" often throw in historical detail for the sake of it. So much that it is jarring and takes you out of the story. Not so with Alan Brennert. His research is meticulous, and it is woven throughout the fabric of the book so well that it transports you to this time and place spanning several decades. The events of the greater world impact life at Palisades Park and the characters in this book. That historical context was very well done and made the book real and true, while at the same time a work of fiction. I will be reading more by Alan Brennert!
I loved this book.
Overall, it's not a gripping story. There is nothing fast paced or gimmicky. It is a solid story about a real NJ amusement park with real people, their struggles, their triumphs, their failures, their successes. It made me long to visit a place like Palisades Park. In a way it makes me think of my childhood memories of going to the shore in NJ each year. The memories, the impact on my life, the time spent with family. In this case, the family in the book is a part of the park as much as the park is a part of their lives. In fact, the park is their life - their childhood memories,, their joy, their livelihood, their sorrows, their everything.
I loved this book.
So often authors who "do their research" often throw in historical detail for the sake of it. So much that it is jarring and takes you out of the story. Not so with Alan Brennert. His research is meticulous, and it is woven throughout the fabric of the book so well that it transports you to this time and place spanning several decades. The events of the greater world impact life at Palisades Park and the characters in this book. That historical context was very well done and made the book real and true, while at the same time a work of fiction. I will be reading more by Alan Brennert!
I loved this book.
June 25, 2020
June 2014: I really enjoyed this one. You can tell the author spent some time at this park, it felt really authentic. A fun read. (First time rated this 4 stars)
Re-read June 2020: I loved it even more! While I was never at Palisades Park, reading this book makes me feel like I was. This second time around it's still so wonderfully nostalgic and feels so authnetic. Pretty much how I felt about it the first time around but after being in lockdown for months it read even better! A great summer 'getaway' while stuck at home. The writing isn't lyrical or beautiful but the storytelling and the sense of place is fantastic.
Re-read June 2020: I loved it even more! While I was never at Palisades Park, reading this book makes me feel like I was. This second time around it's still so wonderfully nostalgic and feels so authnetic. Pretty much how I felt about it the first time around but after being in lockdown for months it read even better! A great summer 'getaway' while stuck at home. The writing isn't lyrical or beautiful but the storytelling and the sense of place is fantastic.
September 11, 2022
This was a really hard book for me to read. It took me forever. I have read another book by this author and really liked it but this one was too much. Too long too many stories going on at the same time. Too much information. Palisades Park was part of my youth, hearing about it always and knowing the hit song, which was of course brought up in the book. I liked all the main characters but the story went on too long and I know it was a comprehensive story of the Park from begining to end. If you are interesred in history of NJ or history of amusement parks then this is a good story for you but to me, as I said, took me too long to read the story.
April 30, 2013
Palisades Park apparently was a real place, I didn't do any fact checking but I assume this is at least partly factual as far as places/events that took place.
Nice easy to read uncomplicated plot, no fancy symbolism, no time traveling, no needing the dictionary every five minutes for obscure show off-y words. Now, I do have a fellow reader and friend who is bothered by bad language and naughty situations so let me say right off: even though this is an old fashioned book about an old fashioned time, a simpler time. In general, morals were better than they are today, little divorce, there was shame about premarital sex, but along with that came discrimination, sexism and racism, which are, in fairness. true to the time period. BUT I have to admit, yes, there was some bad language, four letter exclamations but in particular a phrase that stood out like a giant warty toad amidst all the nostalgia, cotton candy and sea air was a phrase that did not *blend* - the men in the book kept referring to "getting some pussy" as part of casual conversation. This wasn't a 70's porno, this was a nice, homey, family type vibe book about an amusement part filled with kids during WWII and beyond. Sex scenes are glossed over or mentioned matter of factly in passing, nothing that should make anyone blush. But that phrase...it kept reappearing and it was jarring. Just...ugh.
But aside from that, ultimately, I had the same problem with this book as I did with Molokai. This book just meandered along. This must be the author's writing style - a long epic that follows a group of characters moving in and out of the story for oh...20-30 years, sometimes concentrating heavily on one month, then bam we've jumped ahead five years, then it pussyfoots (heh did you see what I did there?) around for awhile, then jumps ahead, then stops, the another huge leap. So - I guess - the pacing of the book is what I didn't like. Constantly, my interest waning, then returning, then waning. Just when I thought I was giving up and moving on, the author threw in a surprising twist. So, I guess I didn't know his characters as well as I should have, or I just wasn't paying attention. So I stayed to see what happened then got sorta interested in what happened to Toni. The book meandered on, their lives marched on. To me that seemed to be the main problem in this otherwise perfectly above average book.
Not everyone will like this book. It's very nostalgic with lots of smaltz and cheese. Characters say stuff you have heard straight out of central casting for movies set in the 40's and 50's. Dialogue is predictable and scenes are wrapped up in traditional ways. For example, I knew the minute the Hawaiian woman came into the bar, she and Eddie would start dating. I knew the minute I met "The Red Guinea" that Toni would return to him later. The only thing that was a surprise was that a character took off and abandoned her children, but that just made me hate her. The author tried to give us some big "reveal" as to the reason she left but it was like "huh"? Made no sense to me - then she was basically gone from the story for 15 yrs until she - big surprise - reappeared at the end for the cheesy ending where everything was wrapped up in a bow and forgiven, smiles all around at the very end. I give it 3.5 stars because of the interesting subject of Palisades Park and clean descriptive imagery, but since we don't give half stars here (a terrible shame) - because of the books flaws I have to lean the other way and award a 3/5 stars.
Nice easy to read uncomplicated plot, no fancy symbolism, no time traveling, no needing the dictionary every five minutes for obscure show off-y words. Now, I do have a fellow reader and friend who is bothered by bad language and naughty situations so let me say right off: even though this is an old fashioned book about an old fashioned time, a simpler time. In general, morals were better than they are today, little divorce, there was shame about premarital sex, but along with that came discrimination, sexism and racism, which are, in fairness. true to the time period. BUT I have to admit, yes, there was some bad language, four letter exclamations but in particular a phrase that stood out like a giant warty toad amidst all the nostalgia, cotton candy and sea air was a phrase that did not *blend* - the men in the book kept referring to "getting some pussy" as part of casual conversation. This wasn't a 70's porno, this was a nice, homey, family type vibe book about an amusement part filled with kids during WWII and beyond. Sex scenes are glossed over or mentioned matter of factly in passing, nothing that should make anyone blush. But that phrase...it kept reappearing and it was jarring. Just...ugh.
But aside from that, ultimately, I had the same problem with this book as I did with Molokai. This book just meandered along. This must be the author's writing style - a long epic that follows a group of characters moving in and out of the story for oh...20-30 years, sometimes concentrating heavily on one month, then bam we've jumped ahead five years, then it pussyfoots (heh did you see what I did there?) around for awhile, then jumps ahead, then stops, the another huge leap. So - I guess - the pacing of the book is what I didn't like. Constantly, my interest waning, then returning, then waning. Just when I thought I was giving up and moving on, the author threw in a surprising twist. So, I guess I didn't know his characters as well as I should have, or I just wasn't paying attention. So I stayed to see what happened then got sorta interested in what happened to Toni. The book meandered on, their lives marched on. To me that seemed to be the main problem in this otherwise perfectly above average book.
Not everyone will like this book. It's very nostalgic with lots of smaltz and cheese. Characters say stuff you have heard straight out of central casting for movies set in the 40's and 50's. Dialogue is predictable and scenes are wrapped up in traditional ways. For example, I knew the minute the Hawaiian woman came into the bar, she and Eddie would start dating. I knew the minute I met "The Red Guinea" that Toni would return to him later. The only thing that was a surprise was that a character took off and abandoned her children, but that just made me hate her. The author tried to give us some big "reveal" as to the reason she left but it was like "huh"? Made no sense to me - then she was basically gone from the story for 15 yrs until she - big surprise - reappeared at the end for the cheesy ending where everything was wrapped up in a bow and forgiven, smiles all around at the very end. I give it 3.5 stars because of the interesting subject of Palisades Park and clean descriptive imagery, but since we don't give half stars here (a terrible shame) - because of the books flaws I have to lean the other way and award a 3/5 stars.
June 6, 2013
Okay, so color me disappointed. After Moloka'i and Honolulu I was expecting something really great from Palisades Park. But all I found was that I didn't care about the characters. An endless stream of names and people were thrown at me from the beginning of the book, but I wasn't made to feel for any of them. Someone would show up in one chapter, then go away for half the book, then show up one more time before never being heard from again.
There's also not a clear protagonist. Eddie? Toni? Brennert spreads so much energy over so many different characters that there's not enough time to get to know them. He tells us things about them, but doesn't show anything.
Sometimes I felt like I was reading a soap opera. People were always crying or about to cry. There'd be a conflict thrown in, but it was resolved within a few paragraphs. Like Toni being upset she couldn't get a loan from the bank, but her dad cosigning for her the very next page. If there's no real conflict, it doesn't feel like a story. Things ended happily for most of the characters, they got what they wanted in the end. I mean, not that having a happy ending is a bad thing, it's just...well, part of me feels like they didn't deserve it.
At times it felt like Brennert was trying to play "name the landmark in NJ" bingo. Other times if felt like an aborted alcoholic mixer tutorial, with him listing every thing Eddie put in his drinks. I'm left wondering: "where was the editor?". If you're picking this up expecting Moloka'i and Honolulu, prepare to be disappointed. If you want cheap thrills and a happy ending, this is your deal. Happy reading.
There's also not a clear protagonist. Eddie? Toni? Brennert spreads so much energy over so many different characters that there's not enough time to get to know them. He tells us things about them, but doesn't show anything.
Sometimes I felt like I was reading a soap opera. People were always crying or about to cry. There'd be a conflict thrown in, but it was resolved within a few paragraphs. Like Toni being upset she couldn't get a loan from the bank, but her dad cosigning for her the very next page. If there's no real conflict, it doesn't feel like a story. Things ended happily for most of the characters, they got what they wanted in the end. I mean, not that having a happy ending is a bad thing, it's just...well, part of me feels like they didn't deserve it.
At times it felt like Brennert was trying to play "name the landmark in NJ" bingo. Other times if felt like an aborted alcoholic mixer tutorial, with him listing every thing Eddie put in his drinks. I'm left wondering: "where was the editor?". If you're picking this up expecting Moloka'i and Honolulu, prepare to be disappointed. If you want cheap thrills and a happy ending, this is your deal. Happy reading.
April 26, 2013
This is the second time I am trying to write a review for this book.
I grew up in New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. My Dad was a truck driver for Ballentine Beer and Ale that was produced in the Ironbound section of Newark, the bet city in the state. Every year my Dad would take a full car load of family to Palisades Park in Cliffside Park.
"You'll never know how great a kiss can feel
When you stop at the top of a Ferris Wheel
When I fell in love ..... down at Palisades Park."
These are some of the words from a popular song in the 1970s that was written for Palisades Park.
This book is the best one I have read in months, I knew every city and place that was mentioned in the book.
There was a good story about Eddie Stopka who grew up in the Ironbound section of Newark and went to Palisades every summer with his mother and father, so it hit home to me.
I have spend many good days at the park, one I remember was with my nieces when we decided to go on a boat ride, I was driving and hit every side of the ride and made my little niece Barbie cry and want to get off the boat. To this very day, they remind me of the Park and the infamous boat ride. Naturally, my brother in law had to take pictures of poor Barbie crying to get off.
The story tells how Eddie got a job at the park and married a young lady Adele who also worked at the park. They raise their children within walking distance of the park and watch them grow up.
I would recommend this book to anyone who lived near the famous park
Palisades Park!!!!!
I grew up in New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. My Dad was a truck driver for Ballentine Beer and Ale that was produced in the Ironbound section of Newark, the bet city in the state. Every year my Dad would take a full car load of family to Palisades Park in Cliffside Park.
"You'll never know how great a kiss can feel
When you stop at the top of a Ferris Wheel
When I fell in love ..... down at Palisades Park."
These are some of the words from a popular song in the 1970s that was written for Palisades Park.
This book is the best one I have read in months, I knew every city and place that was mentioned in the book.
There was a good story about Eddie Stopka who grew up in the Ironbound section of Newark and went to Palisades every summer with his mother and father, so it hit home to me.
I have spend many good days at the park, one I remember was with my nieces when we decided to go on a boat ride, I was driving and hit every side of the ride and made my little niece Barbie cry and want to get off the boat. To this very day, they remind me of the Park and the infamous boat ride. Naturally, my brother in law had to take pictures of poor Barbie crying to get off.
The story tells how Eddie got a job at the park and married a young lady Adele who also worked at the park. They raise their children within walking distance of the park and watch them grow up.
I would recommend this book to anyone who lived near the famous park
Palisades Park!!!!!
June 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Full of first hand memories and lots of historical facts of this nostalgic New Jersey amusement park that closed in the 1970's. Loved the fictional characters of Eddie and Toni and the real-life character of Bunty. Lots of history of WWII and the Korean war and what it meant in the lives of these people. Historical details of fires and actual events that took place at the park fit in seamlessly with the fictional story. Lots of funny moments and many heartfelt scenes throughout. A great family saga. I would recommend the book over the audio. I didn't care for the narrator using a bunch of irritating voices for each character. Good narration doesn't need this tactic imo. Luckily, the story was solid and I ended up reading some parts. The ending was emotional and I'm glad I read it. This brought back many memories of my own childhood and young adulthood trips to Cedar Point amusement park In Ohio. A great summer read.
June 15, 2017
I was kind of amazed at how quickly I was drawn into this book. The story of the Stopka family and their lives at the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey is exciting, heartbreaking and hopeful. Set in the 40's, 50's and 60's, the book touches on World War 2, the Korean War and issues such racism, PTSD and women's rights. The Stopka family works hard and stands up for what they believe regardless of the consequences. They support each other and help each other realize their dreams.
May 6, 2013
When my mother spotted me reading a book titled "Palisades Park," she immediately became animated as she told me stories of the one time she went there as a very little girl. And to me, that animation and storytelling based off of precious childhood memories is what makes this book so sensational.
Eddie Stopka goes to Palisades Park for the first time in 1922 and goes on to remember that day as the best of his life. When he returns as a late teenager to find a job, the adventures he has, the people he meets, and the life he creates is what forms this story.
Alan Brennert has written a sweeping family narrative that follows Eddie, his wife, his son, and especially his daughter, Toni, who wishes for nothing more than to be a female high diver. As in all stories that resonate strongly with me, this one is slow burning as the readers get to know the characters. We learn of their dreams and desires, we see how they grow and change. Since the novel spans over so many years we also catch glimpses of the changing cultural and political climate in the United States and New Jersey. Characters go to WWII and the Korean War, characters witness and participate in demonstrations to denounce segregation, characters know members of the mob -- and that is just to name a few. The storytelling was so first-rate; I felt as if I was in the park, munching on French Fries or hearing the clacking noise of the roller coasters. I was transported to another time and place, and my reading experience was all the better for it.
Eddie Stopka goes to Palisades Park for the first time in 1922 and goes on to remember that day as the best of his life. When he returns as a late teenager to find a job, the adventures he has, the people he meets, and the life he creates is what forms this story.
Alan Brennert has written a sweeping family narrative that follows Eddie, his wife, his son, and especially his daughter, Toni, who wishes for nothing more than to be a female high diver. As in all stories that resonate strongly with me, this one is slow burning as the readers get to know the characters. We learn of their dreams and desires, we see how they grow and change. Since the novel spans over so many years we also catch glimpses of the changing cultural and political climate in the United States and New Jersey. Characters go to WWII and the Korean War, characters witness and participate in demonstrations to denounce segregation, characters know members of the mob -- and that is just to name a few. The storytelling was so first-rate; I felt as if I was in the park, munching on French Fries or hearing the clacking noise of the roller coasters. I was transported to another time and place, and my reading experience was all the better for it.
July 20, 2017
Maybe a 3.5 if I'm being generous. I loved Moloka'i and Honolulu, but unfortunately this book does not measure up to those achievements.
Palisades Park is an homage to the author's favorite place of his childhood and you do get a very good sense of the park and its history, both good and bad. Many of the people mentioned in the book are in fact real people, and they are portrayed reasonably well. It's the fictional characters that seem a bit flat and one dimensional. I could not relate to any of them, especially Toni. I found her very irritating.
The book spans 1922-1974 and although it ostensibly focuses on the Stopka family, the reader experiences historical events through Palisades Park, since that is where the Stopka family works. There is a little detour to Hawaii (yay!) during WWII which impacts the story later.
It is hard to say who the main character is: Toni or her father Eddie or the park itself.
I really wanted to like this book more, but it didn't always hold my interest. It became one of those books that you don't dislike, but you're glad when it's over.
It's OK for what it is, but I know the author can do much, much better.
Palisades Park is an homage to the author's favorite place of his childhood and you do get a very good sense of the park and its history, both good and bad. Many of the people mentioned in the book are in fact real people, and they are portrayed reasonably well. It's the fictional characters that seem a bit flat and one dimensional. I could not relate to any of them, especially Toni. I found her very irritating.
The book spans 1922-1974 and although it ostensibly focuses on the Stopka family, the reader experiences historical events through Palisades Park, since that is where the Stopka family works. There is a little detour to Hawaii (yay!) during WWII which impacts the story later.
It is hard to say who the main character is: Toni or her father Eddie or the park itself.
I really wanted to like this book more, but it didn't always hold my interest. It became one of those books that you don't dislike, but you're glad when it's over.
It's OK for what it is, but I know the author can do much, much better.
May 23, 2013
Bentsen: Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.
I thought of this quote after reading Palisades Park. You see, I loved Alan Brennert's Molokai. This is no Molokai.
This book was an easy read. Perhaps that was part of the problem. I really felt nothing for the characters. They were all too perfect. It was one of those 'happily ever after' books. All of the story lines were tidy. None of the characters really had any flaw or conflict, aside from one, but even that wasn't really explored and wrapped itself up with a bow at the end.
As previous reviews have stated, this is more a book with the main character being Palisades Park itself. And even so, it was not gritty enough to really feel like you were there. Whereas the author describes the park, I didn't really feel the park.
This is by all means not a bad book, it's just not on par with either Honolulu or Molokai.
I thought of this quote after reading Palisades Park. You see, I loved Alan Brennert's Molokai. This is no Molokai.
This book was an easy read. Perhaps that was part of the problem. I really felt nothing for the characters. They were all too perfect. It was one of those 'happily ever after' books. All of the story lines were tidy. None of the characters really had any flaw or conflict, aside from one, but even that wasn't really explored and wrapped itself up with a bow at the end.
As previous reviews have stated, this is more a book with the main character being Palisades Park itself. And even so, it was not gritty enough to really feel like you were there. Whereas the author describes the park, I didn't really feel the park.
This is by all means not a bad book, it's just not on par with either Honolulu or Molokai.
July 6, 2014
Couldn't put it down. A welcome change from all the high brow classic novels I've been reading lately! A mixture of fact and fiction but what is the fact and what is the fiction??
January 20, 2025
4.5 stars
April 24, 2014
Nobody does historical fiction with the setting as a character better than Alan Brennert. I'm not discounting that there may be some equal to the task, but none are more masterful at taking a place, creating fascinating characters with life-long ties to that place, and mixing in the magnetizing truth of events and people with the plausible storytelling of a simulated narrative. Brennert is simply and complexly brilliant. His previous best-selling novels, Moloka'i and Honolulu are of equally epic status.
Overlooking the Hudson River, Palisades Park was the legendary amusement park in Cliffside Park/Ft. Lee,New Jersey forever immortalized in the song by Freddy Cannon in 1962 entitled "Palisades Park." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkNVw...) Opened in 1898 and closed in 1971, Brennert's story covers mostly the years when the park was under the ownership of the Irving and Jack Rosenthal, brothers who bought the amusement park from the Schenck brothers who went on to make history in the motion picture business. The Rosenthals were wholeheartedly committed to making Palisades Park the premier park for fun and innovation. Constantly updated, the musical element alone was a who's who of musical history, from the Big Bands of Benny Goodman to the up and coming Frankie Avalon and the Jackson Five. The rotating attractions, the imaginative rides, and the country's largest saltwater swimming pool entertained thousands over the years.
Alan Brennert has inserted into this spectacle of enchantment a family of dreamers who find themselves immersed in the community of the amusement park where Eddie, the father, and Adele, the mother, met as concessionaires and after marrying opened up their Saratoga french-fries concession together. Children Antoinette/Toni and Jack grow up with Palisades Amusement Park as their daily playground. The ensconced culture of the times becomes a sweet nostalgic look at the days of listening to radio programs as a family, pin curling hair, reading comic books, and the "bobby soxer" look. And, yet, Brennert doesn't leave out the not so sweet parts, such as racial discrimination and war, which so substantially affect the country and the lives of the Stopka family. WWII impacts Eddie, Adele, and their children in ways that will linger for decades and change lives forever. The issue of civil rights is fought on the very doorstep of the amusement park with the family's belief that people are people, no matter what, put to the test. And, the dreams of youth and the dreams of adulthood are played out in an ever changing landscape of possibility. Toni's early goal of becoming a high diver after witnessing one at the park is challenged by gender expectations and family dynamics. Eddie's and Adele's dreams are not always on the same page, and Jack, sweet Jack, finds that heroes aren't always as they seem. Intertwined in the story of the Stopka family are a cast of minor characters, both real and fictional, with consuming stories of their own.
Even in the physical arrangement of the book, Alan Brennert gives creative, meaningful direction. The beginning chapter, where Eddie as a child first visits the amusement park with his father, is entitled Opening Bally. The final chapter, after Pallisades Amusement Park has closed, is entitled Closing Bally. This metaphoric salute to the Park seemed somehow perfect and fully satisfying. In the author's note at the end, he states that the book is his "love letter to a cherished part of my childhood." After reading his love letter, I would conclude that he has spoken not only for those who cherished Palisades Park, but for all of us who have a special place from our childhood days that transported us into a world of magical possibilities.
What's especially satisfying about an Alan Brennert novel is that they usually don't end with the last page, as the reader will become so engrossed in the setting, people, and events that you will seek out more books, fiction and non-fiction to keep your new-found love of place in motion. My suggestion is to keep your post-its tab markers handy to identify the many parts of this narrative you will want to revisit.
Overlooking the Hudson River, Palisades Park was the legendary amusement park in Cliffside Park/Ft. Lee,New Jersey forever immortalized in the song by Freddy Cannon in 1962 entitled "Palisades Park." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkNVw...) Opened in 1898 and closed in 1971, Brennert's story covers mostly the years when the park was under the ownership of the Irving and Jack Rosenthal, brothers who bought the amusement park from the Schenck brothers who went on to make history in the motion picture business. The Rosenthals were wholeheartedly committed to making Palisades Park the premier park for fun and innovation. Constantly updated, the musical element alone was a who's who of musical history, from the Big Bands of Benny Goodman to the up and coming Frankie Avalon and the Jackson Five. The rotating attractions, the imaginative rides, and the country's largest saltwater swimming pool entertained thousands over the years.
Alan Brennert has inserted into this spectacle of enchantment a family of dreamers who find themselves immersed in the community of the amusement park where Eddie, the father, and Adele, the mother, met as concessionaires and after marrying opened up their Saratoga french-fries concession together. Children Antoinette/Toni and Jack grow up with Palisades Amusement Park as their daily playground. The ensconced culture of the times becomes a sweet nostalgic look at the days of listening to radio programs as a family, pin curling hair, reading comic books, and the "bobby soxer" look. And, yet, Brennert doesn't leave out the not so sweet parts, such as racial discrimination and war, which so substantially affect the country and the lives of the Stopka family. WWII impacts Eddie, Adele, and their children in ways that will linger for decades and change lives forever. The issue of civil rights is fought on the very doorstep of the amusement park with the family's belief that people are people, no matter what, put to the test. And, the dreams of youth and the dreams of adulthood are played out in an ever changing landscape of possibility. Toni's early goal of becoming a high diver after witnessing one at the park is challenged by gender expectations and family dynamics. Eddie's and Adele's dreams are not always on the same page, and Jack, sweet Jack, finds that heroes aren't always as they seem. Intertwined in the story of the Stopka family are a cast of minor characters, both real and fictional, with consuming stories of their own.
Even in the physical arrangement of the book, Alan Brennert gives creative, meaningful direction. The beginning chapter, where Eddie as a child first visits the amusement park with his father, is entitled Opening Bally. The final chapter, after Pallisades Amusement Park has closed, is entitled Closing Bally. This metaphoric salute to the Park seemed somehow perfect and fully satisfying. In the author's note at the end, he states that the book is his "love letter to a cherished part of my childhood." After reading his love letter, I would conclude that he has spoken not only for those who cherished Palisades Park, but for all of us who have a special place from our childhood days that transported us into a world of magical possibilities.
What's especially satisfying about an Alan Brennert novel is that they usually don't end with the last page, as the reader will become so engrossed in the setting, people, and events that you will seek out more books, fiction and non-fiction to keep your new-found love of place in motion. My suggestion is to keep your post-its tab markers handy to identify the many parts of this narrative you will want to revisit.
October 12, 2018
Wanted to love book. Found story to drag, but not my type of book so don't let my review deter you. 2.5 stars.
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