Madison House

by Peter Donahue

Peter Donahue’s debut novel Madison House chronicles turn-of-the-century Seattle’s explosive transformation from frontier outpost to major metropolis. Maddie Ingram, owner of Madison House, and her quirky and endearing boarders find their lives inextricably linked when the city decides to re-grade Denny Hill and the fate of Madison House hangs in the balance. Clyde Hunssler, Maddie’s albino handyman and furtive love interest; James Colter, a muckraking black journalist who owns and publishes the Seattle Sentry newspaper; and Chiridah Simpson, an aspiring stage actress forced into prostitution and morphine addiction while working in the city’s corrupt vaudeville theater, all call Madison House home. Had E.L. Doctorow and Charles Dickens met on the streets of Seattle, they couldn’t have created a better book.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction

528 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Larisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love reading historical fiction about Seattle, my "new" hometown of the past 15 years. Donahue clearly did a ton of research while writing this book. And then felt compelled to cram every bit of that research into the book in a way that doesn't so much bring the era alive as make me feel like I'm reading meticulous notes. The overall plot, which focuses on the owner and inhabitants of a boarding house in the early 1900s that is likely to be demolished by the city's passion for regrading all its hills, was a good way to humanize an aspect of the city's history I hadn't given much thought to, and the different personalities and pursuits of the boarders really fleshed out how many different kinds of people lived their daily lives here. But the writing style was not compelling, and the one sex scene near the end was so cliched I literally cringed while reading it. And finally--the number of typos and other errors increased the further into the book I got, which (as an editor) I found distracting.

[Nathan Seney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a reader of historical fiction but I quite enjoyed this story with its broad arc and strong female lead. Thanks to the little free library I found it in!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general, fictional books tend to attract because of the well drawn characters, engrossing plots, and excellent writing. This book has lightly sketched characters, a mildly interesting plot, and workmanlike writing style. But I could not put it down, and I think almost anyone who lives in or cares about Seattle will feel the same. Beneath the book’s superficial story, about a fictional boardinghouse, its landlady, and its occupants, is the real story: the tale of the Denny Regrade, and the Alaska gold rush and smaller scale Seattle regrades that led to the Denny project. This is not just an interesting story for engineering nerds: the Denny regrade and its prologue are the story of how Seattle came to be what it is today. Seattle’s history obviously began long ago with the many Native American peoples who lived in this area, but the development of the city as a city began quite recently, sparked mostly by the Alaskan gold rush. The regrades that followed in Seattle were part of a massive effort to improve the business prospects for the city, and they involved some profound re-working of the basic landscape of the city, which laid the ground for the current version — and for Seattle’s ongoing willingness to continue to transform itself, most recently with the tunnel that will replace the viaduct, and the extension of light rail. Anyway, if you have an interest in Seattle, you will love this meticulously researched novel the way I did, and for the same reason: because you’ll learn so much. (I also suggest trying to get your hands on a pictorial Seattle history like Seattle Then and Now — most helpful context.)

[Tana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinatingly detailed description of turn of the century Seattle, The Cornelius Arms
is a fascinating and fun novel depicting urban life 100 years ago. A must read!

[Jodene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't recommend this book to anyone except hardcore Seattle history buffs. The only reason I didn't quit halfway through was because of an interest in Seattle history, but I could have sated that interest in a far more efficient manner by choosing non-fiction. Mainly, the characters felt one-dimensional. Though the author imbued them with backstories and some inner motivation, I rarely felt moved by the progress of their lives. I even skipped most of the Alaska gold rush back story as it didn't seem relevant (and it slimmed a 500 page novel to about 440 pages). I did learn about the regrading of Denny hill and other aspects of Seattle at the turn of the century, but there are surely better reads for that.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story based upon the early days of the city of Seattle. The main character, Maddie, starts her adult married life with a man who is determined to get rich from the gold of the Yukon. Although she is deserted by her husband, she makes some good friends there and leaves alone but with a small fortune and some sad memories. Maddie invests in a boarding house on Denny Hill in Seattle and the remainder of the story concerns the leveling of Denny Hill in the development of Seattle.
This story should interest Seattle residents, especially, those who have lived there long enough to have an interest in the city’s past. I suspect those who are more familiar with the city will recognize landmarks that I am unaware of.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming from many generations of Seattle folk, I loved this historical novel for more than the discovery of how Seattle took shape. The story and the characters lived with me for months after finishing the book. Donahue did his research, and wrote a fine and triumphant story of a woman's strength and resilience, fierce independence and determination. Talk about grit.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a few negative reviews of this book, and I will agree the beginning is a bit dry, but I’m so glad I didn’t quit as I really enjoyed this book. As a Washington state history teacher, I enjoyed the historical accuracy of the events described in the book, and told with interesting characters.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this historical story of Seattle. I think it could have been slightly condensed, but it gave an interesting picture of early Seattle.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Residents of a Seattle Boarding house eventually destroyed by regrading Denney Hill. The owner, a former Klondiker, albino handyman, aspiring photographer and black journalist.

[Kimberly O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating history. i've lived near and loved Seattle all my life. I knew little about the regrades and found that well documented in this book. The characters were not fully realized and seriously annoying sometimes. the worrying. yikes. but I did finish it and even though it was overlong I left wanting to look up more history especially photos of the changes so I thank the author for that.

[Ahava Leibtag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the info on Seattle at the turn of last century. Sometimes he got a little lost in all of the details but thr characters were memorable and he painted a vibrant picture.

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story about Seattle's beginnings to become a city of substance. "Too many words" as one book club friend described it, and I agree. Up this street, down that hill, over to the lake ...... I just wanted to skip all that and continue with the meat of the story, which was good and would have been great if condensed reasonably.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. Peter Donahue likes research, and he made sure to include every single damn bit of trivia about Seattle life from 1890 to 1909 within the pages of this novel. This title is historical fiction, but really edges on the outskirts of armchair historian. There is a story involved in Madison House, and it clumsily focuses on the human dramas that play out between the various residents of a boarding house in the beautiful, but doomed, Denny Hill neighborhood in Seattle.

The ending to this story should be no surprise to anyone who lives or has lived in Seattle. There is no Denny Hill but the Denny Hill you must climb to reach Capitol Hill, which can make it hard to want to read if you don't like anticipating unhappy endings that leave characters in utter destitution. We start the novel finding one of our soon-to-be main characters getting arrested and abused by the police on suspicion of his involvement in a fatal incident at the Denny regrade project. Then we jump to strong willed Maddie Ingram, fresh off the boat from a harrowing yet successful stint in the Klondike. She uses her payout from the gold rush to purchase a boardinghouse with a fabulous view, and begins to collect an assortment of characters whom we get to know little by little after sifting through the dregs of Peter Donahue's research. Eventually, Maddie learns that the city wants to tear down her hill in the name of progress and prosperity, and then we must go through several years and several chapters of Maddie feeling irate and not doing much of anything to make the situation better.

Much like the gold miners Donahue writes about, we readers have to really dig for those little moments where the story really moves forward. Donahue certainly paints a wonderful picture of Seattle, especially in the context of mammoth engineering projects which frankly aren't discussed all that much today considering the cost to the individual, but he merely dabbled in telling a cohesive story that made me care about the numerous references to historic Seattle.

Personally, I would have like to have seen Maddie's Klondike experience developed more, as well as the boarders' stories. There were so many moments that could have been a great asset to the overall story, but Donahue breezed over them, which frustrated me beyond belief when he spent so much time on minutiae.

[Miranda Holtmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sounds kinda cheezy but this book gets me. Here is a historical fiction novel set in a period of time that I am very interested in (beginning of 20th century), in my own city of Seattle, and where the characters are expressing anxieties that my friends and I have been expressing a lot in recent years. The torment of Seattle changing beyond your control--and not liking it, and not sure of your place in it--is as real for the inhabitants of Madison House facing the regrade of Denny Hill as it is for those who are struggling with being priced out of Seattle and watching things we love about Seattle disappear to development. Not only did the characters express my exact feelings 100 years removed but it also gave me some heavy existential perspective as the Seattle the characters are morning losing is a Seattle I would never know.

All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed all the time I spent in old Seattle reading this book. The author had clearly done his research and firmly placed me there. It was a fun read as someone who enjoys Seattle history, there were references to many things I knew, but it was also fun to look up some real characters mentioned and learn more & look at pictures. There were many times that I'd put my book down to pick up a tablet and see if a character was a real person or to see if a building described was a building I was thinking of that still stands.

My main criticism would be that, especially earlier in the novel, there is a bit of repetition but it wanes further in the novel, or rather, the author finds a more fluid way to revisit scenes from another perspective in a way that feels less redundant. The main criticism that I've seen about the book has been about the amount of description showing off the author's research. I would argue that for 90% of the book I appreciated that description and found that it really painted a picture and put me there.

To my friends who appreciate historical fiction, live or have lived in Seattle and especially those who have loved but also felt alienated by this city, this novel is a must read!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if there was a tall hill just south of Seattle's city center instead of the smooth grade of Belltown. A hundred years ago there was such a hill, and this novel describes the regrading of Denny Hill. The book tells the story of a boarding house, the woman who owns it, and the boarders. It is a pleasant novel, with plenty of Seattle color. I enjoyed it, but then too I live in Seattle. I think the story would also interest those who don't live in Seattle.

[Beverly Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is alove story in two parts;a women's love for her adopted city and an love story between 2 unlikely people. It is set in Seattle just after the Alaskan golod rush and during the run up to the Alaskan-Yukon-Pacific Expositiona and features the Denny Regrade from the view point of people and businesseswho lived through it. The author must have a map of

Seattle in his head;anyone who lives or has lived in Seattle will enjoy it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Set in the first decade of the 1900s, the novel is set in Seattle and addresses the changes the city went through as it transformed from a gateway to the Alaska gold rush to the regrading of the hills of the city (and the destruction of personal property) as it trys to become more metropolitan. The main character owns Madison House, a boarding house on one of the hills. The story deals with her life and those of her boarders. It is slow at times, but interesting.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction - Seattle. I am really enjoying reading about old Seattle. Story is surrounding the events of the Denny Hill regrade. Still in process and have moments where i really enjoy and others are so-so. But great for thinking what it used to be like back in the day. I am planning on reading this while sitting in a nice place in Pioneer Square, i think it will be perfect.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about pioneering, a la Jack London, the Pacific NW, with Seattle as a main character. The author has absorbed early Seattle and makes it easy to insert yourself back 100 years plus into the pulsing life of the city. The human characters in the book, although mainly fictional, contribute nicely to the movement of the storyline. A good read.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gives a look at the Denny Regrade from the perspective of Denny Hill residents as they go about their lives and, at the same time deal with the impact of the regrade on their lives. This is something I had never really thought about, it was just a fact of Seattle's history. I think anyone who has ever lived in or near Seattle would enjoy reading this book.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but I was ready for the story to be over when I finished. The author is very detailed about the geography and landscape of Seattle during the Yukon goldrush era, which may not be as interesting if you are not from Seattle.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book as far as history of Seattle is concerned. I even liked the story line, possibly more so as the characters were so different. This allowed the story line to flow into many different pathways which explained even more Seattle history.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Seattle fiction------Denny Hill Regrade 1896-1908. Excellent book about early Seattle.

[Nora Strang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable (in no small part b/c I am living in Seattle) historical fiction account of Seattle during the gold-rush. Recounts the Denny re-grade. Written w/an impressive amount of accuracy.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't know there was a historical novel about the Denny Regrade. Oh, but there is!

[Jane Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about early Seattle and the impact on the regrading projects-

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Seattle historical fiction about the incredible Denny regrade.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too long-winded, too slow, too dull to hold interest.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting book about Seattle history. The writing was okay (you can tell it was a debut novel) but the topic kept me going and in the end I was hooked.