MADreads

Streets of New York

August 4th, 2008 Lesley - Central

New York author Pete Hamill returns to Manhattan in his latest novel; a story of Depression-era doctor James Delaney’s life on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village. The North River (what “real” New Yorkers call the Hudson) is only 2 blocks from the doctor’s home and office and is a presence throughout the story.

Delaney, a wounded World War I veteran, treats the indigent poor in his neighborhood as well as gangster Eddie Corso, a fellow soldier in the trenches of France. The doctor’s return from the war has been one of loss and grief with the disappearance of his wife and daughter.

Delaney’s life changes dramatically on New Year’s Day 1934 when he returns home to find his two-year-old grandson Carlito on the doorstep. With him is a note from his daughter, Grace. She asks that he take care of Carlito while she’s in Spain in search of her husband, a Mexican revolutionary.

With the help of Sicilian housekeeper, Rose, Delaney is given a second chance at a family life as Carlito’s presence eases the pain of his loss. Rose and the doctor eventually become lovers and the “new” family is caught up in the gangland wars between Eddie Corso and his rival.

Hamill’s story is an interesting, well written account of Depression-era life in Greenwich Village. If you like this one, I would recommend Beverly Swerling’s City of Dreams and City of Glory. Although these are span the 17th-19th centuries, the locale on the Southern end of Manhattan is the same as in Hamill’s book.

Entry Filed under: Historical Fiction, Recreational Fiction