Kelly has written an amazing book that enmeshes the reader in 1930s New York and through the eyes of a number of very different characters, he describes the changes that are taking place. The main narrative voices, Michael Briody...
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Kelly has written an amazing book that enmeshes the reader in 1930s New York and through the eyes of a number of very different characters, he describes the changes that are taking place. The main narrative voices, Michael Briody and Grace Masterson, are both fairly recent Irish immigrants to America, though they have each come to this place in their own ways and have very different feelings towards their homeland. In addition to giving us such a vivid picture of the human experience within the immigrant enclaves in the city, Kelly also highlights the changing nature of the power structure of New York. Tammany Hall and the Irish are losing much of their power and the Italians are on the ascent. At the same time, the Depression is closing in and the beer wars and killings perpetuated by Prohibition are becoming too much for even the skillful spin of Johnny Farrell. Kelly even gives voice to FDR and his hopeful rise to the Presidency. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, not only for the vivid images Kelly creates, but also because he asks the reader to reevaluate what he/she thinks about certain things. Is the Tammany Hall machine all bad? Was it right to bring the struggle for Irish independence to America? And what role did Prohibition and corporate greed have in the Depression? And what is the difference between the corporate greed and the machine's graft? I am hoping that Kelly is planning a sequel of some type because at the end I was left feeling a little jilted, as if he had decided he just couldn't handle the characters anymore. Regardless, this makes for excellent beach or train reading! Comment | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)
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