Staff Pick
Brian Doyle's exuberant novel, Chicago, is both an account of a young man's trepidatious steps into manhood and a heartfelt love letter to the city itself. Based on the author's own year living there, the narrator comes to understand the immense and profound importance of story. Doyle brings his typical rollicking and tumbling but tender prose style to Chicago. He weaves together his stories of friendship, home, and belonging with his wide-eyed love of life, along with a hefty dose of humor. Bottom line: stories make us human. Don't miss it. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
On the last day of summer, some years ago, a young college graduate moves to Chicago and rents a small apartment on the north side of the city, by the vast and muscular lake. This is the story of the five seasons he lives there, during which he meets gangsters, gamblers, policemen, a brave and garrulous bus driver, a cricket player, a librettist, his first girlfriend, a shy apartment manager, and many other riveting souls, not to mention a wise and personable dog of indeterminate breed.
A love letter to Chicago, the Great American City, and a wry account of a young man's coming-of-age during the one summer in White Sox history when they had the best outfield in baseball, Brian Doyle's Chicago is a novel that will plunge you into a city you will never forget, and may well wish to visit for the rest of your days.