Synopses & Reviews
At the height of the Civil War, word spreads through the poorest quarters of New York City that a military draft is about to be implemented -- a draft from which any rich man's son can buy an exemption. The outrage this inspires escalates into the worst urban conflagration in American history.
Down in the waterfront slum of Paradise Alley, three women -- Deirdre Dolan O'Kane, Ruth Dove, and Maddy Boyle -- struggle with their private fears as they wait for the storm to descend upon them. Deirdre, devastated by the news that her husband, Tom, has been wounded in Gettysburg, must turn for comfort and aid to two women she has always judged as morally depraved -- Ruth, married to an ex-slave, and Maddy, a hard-living prostitute.
Synopsis
- Paradise Alley recieved a cover review in the New York Times Book Review, and was named a Notable Book of the Year there. Publishers Weekly named it "One of the Best Books of 2002."- Paradise Alley was Frank McCourt's pick for the Today Show Book Club in hardcover.- PerfectBound e-book available (see HarperCollins hardcover catalog).
About the Author
Kevin Baker is the bestselling author of the novels
Dreamland,
Paradise Alley, and
Sometimes You See It Coming. He is a columnist for
American Heritage magazine and a regular contributor to the
New York Times,
Harper's, and other periodicals. He lives in New York City with his wife, the writer Ellen Abrams, and their cat, Stella.
Kevin Baker is the bestselling author of the novels Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Sometimes You See It Coming. He is a columnist for American Heritage magazine and a regular contributor to the New York Times, Harper's, and other periodicals. He lives in New York City with his wife, the writer Ellen Abrams, and their cat, Stella.