Our group enjoyed the book. Several participants confirmed the authenticity of the area in New York during that time period. The story was an accurate historial portrayal of NY. The characters interacted well and the grandson creating an uplifting feeling to the story.

“North River” by Pete Hamill

Mr. Hamill is a gifted storyteller. His descriptions of time, place, and humanity are vivid and real. I loved “Snow in August” and “Forever”, (I highly recommend both!) by Mr. Hamill, so I bought this book a couple of years ago, when it was first published. Because there are “so many books and so little time”, I just recently took a day to read it. “North River” is perhaps his most thought provoking and worthwhile read of the three.

The story takes place during The Great Depression years of 1934-1935 in New York City, a Greenwich Village neighborhood. I was drawn into the story on the fifth page when Dr. Delaney arrives home from a house call at 11:00pm on New Year’s evening, finding a baby stroller on his doorstep. As I continued reading, I came across the most profound sentence in the book; one that was at once simple and complex; one that provided such clarity and provoked much thought. On page 46, Mr. Hamill wrote “The cause of death was always life.” That one short sentence spoke volumes to me.

The story is a good one. Dr. Delaney is a lonely man, numbed by the disappearance of his wife, abandoned by his daughter. He is a man who lives by his principles, with great integrity, believing in human goodness. He has a big heart and cares for the indigent. The story is the beginning of the end of his loneliness. This novel so richly captures the essence of the gray and gloomy days of The Depression era, the reader feels the chill in the air, stands in the bread lines, smells the aroma and stench of the soup kitchen, and feels the pain and suffering of those who lived through this time in history. It is a story well worth the short time it takes to read. It is an eye opening ‘history lesson’ from one man’s perspective.
from my book bagg briefs @ www.keepitsimplesweetee.com/books.htm

This novel is a very slow moving story, with no plot, but great historical detail. I loved the Doc, but found no connection to any of the other characters. This was an OK book but not one I would recommend.