Advance
Praise for Kevin Baker’s
PARADISE ALLEY
"Kevin Baker is perhaps the most ambitious American novelist
working today. Who else could--or would even dare to--paint on
such a large canvas? PARADISE ALLEY is a powerful book that eschews
what's trendy for the old-fashioned literary pleasures: rigorous
storytelling, deeply felt observation, and a judicious use of
the bombshell surprise. Do yourself a favor and read it."
—Darin
Strauss, author of
Chang and Eng and The Real McCoy
"A gripping saga of New York at war—with the Confederacy
and with itself—climaxing in the torrential Draft Riots that
roar through the city's streets, sweeping the brilliantly realized
characters to their respective destinies."
—Mike
Wallace, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of
GOTHAM: A History of New York City to 1898
"With PARADISE ALLEY, Kevin Baker emerges as our finest historical
novelist, illuminating a critical and unexplored moment of the
Civil War with a compassion and vitality reminiscent of Tolstoy.
Baker's novel of immigration, slavery, rage and rebellion miraculously
captures not just the essence of our nation's past but of where
we stand today. Paradise Alley is a powerful and unforgettable
book."
—Peter
Nichols, author of A Voyage for Madmen
"Five
stars—well-written and full of surprises. Kevin Baker’s
meticulous research about this particularly wrenching moment in
our history is evident in every detail."
—Paulette
Jiles, author of Enemy Women
"PARADISE
ALLEY is a first-class work of historical fiction by a master
storyteller. Baker achieves an epic and accurate weave of truth
and imagination, a seamless saga of cruelty, courage and human
struggle set during the bloodiest urban uprising in American history."
—Peter
Quinn, author of Banished Children of Eve
