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Old New York #4
City of Promise
A “vivid tableau of 1870s Manhattan” ( Entertainment Weekly ), City of Promise continues Beverly Swerling’s acclaimed epic saga as New York emerges from the Civil War into the Gilded Age—a city marked by soaring expansion and dazzling glamour.
Beverly Swerling’s epic saga continues as New York emerges from the Civil War into the Gilded Age—a city marked by soaring expansion and teeming with unbridled ambition and dazzling glamour. Joshua Turner returns home from the war with only one leg yet determined to make his fortune. He aspires to build the city’s first apartment houses for Everyman, a daring vision that will make him the city’s first real estate titan but attracts the attention of a shadowy figure from his past. Mollie Brannigan, raised by her Auntie Eileen in the toniest bordello in town, is resigned at age twenty-two to spinsterhood. Then Joshua finds her at Macy’s, the city’s largest emporium, and takes her coaching in Central Park. In his love Mollie finds a world of possibilities, but a secret Eileen thought left behind in Ireland will force Mollie to employ all her wits to protect not just her chance at happiness but her life. Vividly imagined and awash in period detail, City of Promise delivers not only suspense and intrigue, daring plot twists and bitter rivalries, but also the captivating love story of two people struggling to forge their own destiny.
Beverly Swerling’s epic saga continues as New York emerges from the Civil War into the Gilded Age—a city marked by soaring expansion and teeming with unbridled ambition and dazzling glamour. Joshua Turner returns home from the war with only one leg yet determined to make his fortune. He aspires to build the city’s first apartment houses for Everyman, a daring vision that will make him the city’s first real estate titan but attracts the attention of a shadowy figure from his past. Mollie Brannigan, raised by her Auntie Eileen in the toniest bordello in town, is resigned at age twenty-two to spinsterhood. Then Joshua finds her at Macy’s, the city’s largest emporium, and takes her coaching in Central Park. In his love Mollie finds a world of possibilities, but a secret Eileen thought left behind in Ireland will force Mollie to employ all her wits to protect not just her chance at happiness but her life. Vividly imagined and awash in period detail, City of Promise delivers not only suspense and intrigue, daring plot twists and bitter rivalries, but also the captivating love story of two people struggling to forge their own destiny.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2011
About the author
Beverly Swerling
25 books261 followersI’m told that a number of critics who have said kind things about my books, have been less kind about the very brief bio on my book jackets. First, don’t blame Simon & Schuster; it’s my fault. Publishers use the data supplied by the author for this kind of thing, and I didn’t supply much. I guess because it seems that almost everything needs a long explanation. Which is probably me being egotistical. What do you care, right? You buy my books to be entertained (and very grateful I am), you don’t give two hoots about me.
But there are those picky critics…
Here then is a somewhat less abbreviated version.
I grew up in the Boston suburb of Revere, and while I won’t tell you when, I will say that it was very different from what it is today. The beach was, as it still is, one of the natural wonders of the state of Massachusetts, but the front was NOT lined with condo high-rises. It was a boardwalk with stands selling fried clams (Massachusetts has the world’s best fried clams – made from the Ipswich soft shells, they remain what I’d choose for my last meal on this earth) and French fries and soft ice cream that we called frozen custard. Plus there were all kinds of gambling games of the sort found at any fairground – pitch ‘til you win, folks! – and a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster and a tunnel of love.
Another feature of Revere back then was that it was almost entirely either Jewish or Italian (my own family is a mixture of both) and because the town had a dog track – Wonderland - and a horse track – Suffolk Downs – there was a lot of what is politely called off-track betting. Which wasn’t legal then, and for all I know still is not. Nonetheless, any number of family members rented rooms to bookies – the chief requirement being that these gentlemen of the turf had to be able to see one or the other of the tote boards with binoculars, (a world without cell phones, remember) and know how much they were liable to pay out, which in turn affected what odds they could offer on the next race.
I went from that upstanding childhood to a small Catholic girls college in the Midwest, then a job in New York as a file clerk to support my writing – all non-fiction at first – until I was able to earn my way as a free lance journalist.
For a time after that I lived in Europe.
Where I got married for a brief and unpleasant period, then came home and wrote more non-fiction. And got married again.
And went back to Europe.
And started writing fiction, and – hallelujah! – selling it.
And came back to New York with my by now long time husband, and began writing City of Dreams…
Which just about catches you up. Except for the bits I’ve left out.
And, oh yes, one other important part of my life and my work: On that so brief bio on the S&S book jacket it mentions that I’m a consultant. Many people have asked me what kind.
Happens that my husband – who has his own website at www.agentresearch.com – runs the world’s number one consultancy for authors looking for new (or sometimes a first) agents. It’s called Agent Research and Evaluation, Inc. and I do some work for some of his clients. I also occasionally mentor new writers – and some who are not so new. What they all have in common is a passion for what they’re writing, so working with them gives me great joy, and most have found it helpful. (Admittedly not all. I set the bar high.) Some of what I have to share about the hows and the whys of this wonderful but very tough business of writing can be found at The Business of Writing page. At other parts of the site you’ll find more about my books, including excerpts from some not yet published work, such as City of Glory, which continues the story of the Turners and the Devreys of City of Dreams. City of Glory will be out in January. We’ve also put up an excerpt from the next book in that series, still little more than a gleam in my eye.
But there are those picky critics…
Here then is a somewhat less abbreviated version.
I grew up in the Boston suburb of Revere, and while I won’t tell you when, I will say that it was very different from what it is today. The beach was, as it still is, one of the natural wonders of the state of Massachusetts, but the front was NOT lined with condo high-rises. It was a boardwalk with stands selling fried clams (Massachusetts has the world’s best fried clams – made from the Ipswich soft shells, they remain what I’d choose for my last meal on this earth) and French fries and soft ice cream that we called frozen custard. Plus there were all kinds of gambling games of the sort found at any fairground – pitch ‘til you win, folks! – and a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster and a tunnel of love.
Another feature of Revere back then was that it was almost entirely either Jewish or Italian (my own family is a mixture of both) and because the town had a dog track – Wonderland - and a horse track – Suffolk Downs – there was a lot of what is politely called off-track betting. Which wasn’t legal then, and for all I know still is not. Nonetheless, any number of family members rented rooms to bookies – the chief requirement being that these gentlemen of the turf had to be able to see one or the other of the tote boards with binoculars, (a world without cell phones, remember) and know how much they were liable to pay out, which in turn affected what odds they could offer on the next race.
I went from that upstanding childhood to a small Catholic girls college in the Midwest, then a job in New York as a file clerk to support my writing – all non-fiction at first – until I was able to earn my way as a free lance journalist.
For a time after that I lived in Europe.
Where I got married for a brief and unpleasant period, then came home and wrote more non-fiction. And got married again.
And went back to Europe.
And started writing fiction, and – hallelujah! – selling it.
And came back to New York with my by now long time husband, and began writing City of Dreams…
Which just about catches you up. Except for the bits I’ve left out.
And, oh yes, one other important part of my life and my work: On that so brief bio on the S&S book jacket it mentions that I’m a consultant. Many people have asked me what kind.
Happens that my husband – who has his own website at www.agentresearch.com – runs the world’s number one consultancy for authors looking for new (or sometimes a first) agents. It’s called Agent Research and Evaluation, Inc. and I do some work for some of his clients. I also occasionally mentor new writers – and some who are not so new. What they all have in common is a passion for what they’re writing, so working with them gives me great joy, and most have found it helpful. (Admittedly not all. I set the bar high.) Some of what I have to share about the hows and the whys of this wonderful but very tough business of writing can be found at The Business of Writing page. At other parts of the site you’ll find more about my books, including excerpts from some not yet published work, such as City of Glory, which continues the story of the Turners and the Devreys of City of Dreams. City of Glory will be out in January. We’ve also put up an excerpt from the next book in that series, still little more than a gleam in my eye.
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August 28, 2026
Having just completed City of Promise, the fourth and final book in the Old New York saga, I am in awe. This was a historical fiction novel set in a vivid tableau of 1870s Manhattan as New York transitioned from the Civil War into the Gilded Age. I have enjoyed the entire series, and this book was no exception. Beginning with the sweeping epic City of Dreams of two families, one Dutch and one English, at a time when New Amsterdam was a raw and rowdy settlement, to the triumph of the Revolution when New York became a new nations’ city of dreams. In 1661, Lucas Turner and his sister stagger off a wooden boat after eleven weeks at sea to make a new life in the rough and rowdy Dutch settlement of Nieuw Amsterdam.
In City of Promise, the protagonist Josh Turner returns from the Civil War missing a leg but that doesn’t stop him from his dreams and determination to make his fortune. And the other protagonist is Mollie Branigan raised in a high-class bordello by her Aunt Eileen. He and Joshua meet when she is working at Macy’s. At this time New York is still a city of horse-drawn vehicles and boarding houses, as well as plans swirling for the Brooklyn Bridge and an elevated train. This is a city marked by soaring expansion and teeming with unbridled ambition and dazzling glamour.
Josh Turner realizes that the city lacks housing for working class families and limited land prevents sprawling housing projects. But receiving a dowry from his wife Mollie’s Aunt Eileen, he comes up with the idea to build vertical housing. And to accomplish that goal, he engages Ebenezer Tickle, a dwarf familiar with the new Bessemer process of making steel that will allow Joshua to build multi-storied apartment houses. Needless to say, there are many who are envious of his success, causing many complications. And this book vividly tells of the greed, corruption and viciousness that accompanied this era as well as the banking failures that were part of new advances in transportation, communication and lighting during this era. With all of these forces in play, this is a powerful book of one of my favorite times in history.
In City of Promise, the protagonist Josh Turner returns from the Civil War missing a leg but that doesn’t stop him from his dreams and determination to make his fortune. And the other protagonist is Mollie Branigan raised in a high-class bordello by her Aunt Eileen. He and Joshua meet when she is working at Macy’s. At this time New York is still a city of horse-drawn vehicles and boarding houses, as well as plans swirling for the Brooklyn Bridge and an elevated train. This is a city marked by soaring expansion and teeming with unbridled ambition and dazzling glamour.
Josh Turner realizes that the city lacks housing for working class families and limited land prevents sprawling housing projects. But receiving a dowry from his wife Mollie’s Aunt Eileen, he comes up with the idea to build vertical housing. And to accomplish that goal, he engages Ebenezer Tickle, a dwarf familiar with the new Bessemer process of making steel that will allow Joshua to build multi-storied apartment houses. Needless to say, there are many who are envious of his success, causing many complications. And this book vividly tells of the greed, corruption and viciousness that accompanied this era as well as the banking failures that were part of new advances in transportation, communication and lighting during this era. With all of these forces in play, this is a powerful book of one of my favorite times in history.
“Everything passes, dearest Joshua. Try and leave behind more good than bad.”
“Such a turnout had to be down to Edison. In money-crazed, kick-up-your heels New York and inventor and entrepreneur of his stature figured to be a much greater draw than any politician.”
“The hansom slowed. Josh lowered the window of the carriage and peered at the colossus looming in front of him. The Brooklyn Bridge had changed the world. Six thousand feet long, it stood a hundred and thirty-five feet above the East River and was eighty-five feet wide at its base, the expanse divided by a sixteen-foot pedestrian promenade raised a bit above the vehicular traffic flowing east and west either side.”
June 10, 2011
Rollicking Fun and Intrigue on the Streets of Old New York
City of Promise, fourth installment in Beverly Swerling’s acclaimed New York City saga, spans the time from the Civil War to the Gilded Age of the 1880s. The stories of the Turner and Devrey families continue. The book brims over with the city’s explosive expansion, gripping characters and a plot that highlights 19th century social mores. The book cover features fireworks over the newly erected Brooklyn Bridge, but the real sparklers are within its pages.
We have followed Beverly Swerling’s characters and their descendants through two centuries since the New York City saga began in City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan. In this latest installment, Josh and Mollie Turner negotiate the ups and downs of their marriage almost as well as their dream to build “French flats,” leased one-floor apartments stacked into a high rise well north of the city. We sense a collision course will ensue with the project but seeing how it unfolds is revelatory. Along the way we bump into arsonists, brothel owners, real estate tycoons, blackmailers, kidnappers and spies.
The real star of City of Promise is New York itself. Swerling’s ability to cram period detail into an absorbing plot makes you feel you’re walking the city streets along with the characters. Grand mansions spread northward, subways threaten to run underground, and apartment buildings stretch skyward. Ride a steam-driven Otis elevator. Attend the opening of the Metropolitan Opera. Stay on top of events with the New York Times, an upscale newspaper. Learn about Edison’s improvements to the Bell telephone, steel-girded apartment buildings and a fashion revelation called the maternity dress.
Beverly Swerling loves New York, evidenced by her five superbly researched novels about its history. Her next novel (coming from Viking in 2013) is set in London in both Tudor and contemporary times. Several of her early books, originally published as written by Beverly Byrne and Beverly S. Martin, will soon be available as eBooks.
Swerling expertly creates fascinating characters that inform us of history. Her knowledge of New York City’s history and geography illuminates and concretizes her subject. City of Promise is so absorbing and suspenseful that when the last page is turned, the reader is unaware that he had a history lesson to top that of a college classroom.
No worries if you haven’t read the other books in the series, as the last one stands on its own. How refreshing to see authors take a different tack than in previous books. Swerling has upped her game in City of Promise. Instead of relying on surgical procedures and salacious scenes, she turns her beloved Big Apple into a hero. Intrigue and entertainment are its close friends to the last page. In this reviewer’s mind, it is the best book of the series.
Simon and Schuster graciously provided the review copy. The opinions expressed are unbiased and entirely those of the reviewer.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
City of Promise, fourth installment in Beverly Swerling’s acclaimed New York City saga, spans the time from the Civil War to the Gilded Age of the 1880s. The stories of the Turner and Devrey families continue. The book brims over with the city’s explosive expansion, gripping characters and a plot that highlights 19th century social mores. The book cover features fireworks over the newly erected Brooklyn Bridge, but the real sparklers are within its pages.
We have followed Beverly Swerling’s characters and their descendants through two centuries since the New York City saga began in City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan. In this latest installment, Josh and Mollie Turner negotiate the ups and downs of their marriage almost as well as their dream to build “French flats,” leased one-floor apartments stacked into a high rise well north of the city. We sense a collision course will ensue with the project but seeing how it unfolds is revelatory. Along the way we bump into arsonists, brothel owners, real estate tycoons, blackmailers, kidnappers and spies.
The real star of City of Promise is New York itself. Swerling’s ability to cram period detail into an absorbing plot makes you feel you’re walking the city streets along with the characters. Grand mansions spread northward, subways threaten to run underground, and apartment buildings stretch skyward. Ride a steam-driven Otis elevator. Attend the opening of the Metropolitan Opera. Stay on top of events with the New York Times, an upscale newspaper. Learn about Edison’s improvements to the Bell telephone, steel-girded apartment buildings and a fashion revelation called the maternity dress.
Beverly Swerling loves New York, evidenced by her five superbly researched novels about its history. Her next novel (coming from Viking in 2013) is set in London in both Tudor and contemporary times. Several of her early books, originally published as written by Beverly Byrne and Beverly S. Martin, will soon be available as eBooks.
Swerling expertly creates fascinating characters that inform us of history. Her knowledge of New York City’s history and geography illuminates and concretizes her subject. City of Promise is so absorbing and suspenseful that when the last page is turned, the reader is unaware that he had a history lesson to top that of a college classroom.
No worries if you haven’t read the other books in the series, as the last one stands on its own. How refreshing to see authors take a different tack than in previous books. Swerling has upped her game in City of Promise. Instead of relying on surgical procedures and salacious scenes, she turns her beloved Big Apple into a hero. Intrigue and entertainment are its close friends to the last page. In this reviewer’s mind, it is the best book of the series.
Simon and Schuster graciously provided the review copy. The opinions expressed are unbiased and entirely those of the reviewer.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
July 26, 2011
I haven't read any of Swerling's other novels, but this one was typical for a historical novel: rich with history, somewhat lacking in plot, and stock full of flat characters. It took me a very long time to get into the book, and for the first couple hundred pages I kept debating with myself whether it was worth my time to finish it.
However, it did get better; either that, or I simply got used to Swerling's writing. It was interesting to experience the mid-1800s life through the eyes of a childless mother and a prosperous businessman in a thriving metropolis. Swerling captured the time period very realistically. Among her strengths, setting is perhaps Swerling's strongest.
I felt like the story itself, however, needed a few more rewrites. Many of the transitions were choppy and unconnected, many of the characters felt the same to me (with the exception of Aunt Eileen), and the Clifford plot never interested me--he was more of a wild card that just wouldn't go away. The prologue was completely unrelated to the rest of the book, and the wedding night scene was a bit overly descriptive.
However, the ending was very satisfying, which redeemed the book quite a bit for me. I was left with hope for the characters, and not simply because Clifford was dead and Mollie was finally given a chance to be a mother; it wasn't an ending, but rather a beginning. Life goes on.
City of Promise is a promising idea for a novel; however, it wasn't as good as I think it could have been.
However, it did get better; either that, or I simply got used to Swerling's writing. It was interesting to experience the mid-1800s life through the eyes of a childless mother and a prosperous businessman in a thriving metropolis. Swerling captured the time period very realistically. Among her strengths, setting is perhaps Swerling's strongest.
I felt like the story itself, however, needed a few more rewrites. Many of the transitions were choppy and unconnected, many of the characters felt the same to me (with the exception of Aunt Eileen), and the Clifford plot never interested me--he was more of a wild card that just wouldn't go away. The prologue was completely unrelated to the rest of the book, and the wedding night scene was a bit overly descriptive.
However, the ending was very satisfying, which redeemed the book quite a bit for me. I was left with hope for the characters, and not simply because Clifford was dead and Mollie was finally given a chance to be a mother; it wasn't an ending, but rather a beginning. Life goes on.
City of Promise is a promising idea for a novel; however, it wasn't as good as I think it could have been.
July 22, 2012
I had not been previously introduced to Beverly Swerling's "City of..." series; in fact I picked this book up at the library because it looked rather interesting (insert remark about "judging a book by its cover" here). This book is the second of the series, which likely explains why I was more confused than I had anticipated when beginning the book--some characters seemed to already know one another in very intimate ways. However, after the second chapter this book transitioned into its own story, and not having previously read the first book became a non issue.
This book was very well written--one of the best historical fiction novels I have read, though my experience in the genre is rather limited. I enjoyed the way that the characters all maintained a sense of independent spirit in the book (at least the main characters, anyway). Each of the main characters is multi-dimensional, and none of them operates with a single-track mind. For example, even the female lead Mollie was very independently-minded considering the time period of the book. She was neither a completely submissive housewife, nor was she of the mindset that she needed to always prove her independent spirit and bring about social change. In fact she was my favorite character in the book because she could be so full of surprises--she might be damsel in distress to comfort her husband (and help boost his confidence) while at the next moment assert herself and her sharp mind (and wit!) to accomplish the task at hand.
Furthermore I appreciated the amount of detail and historical reference this book made to the real New York City circa mid-1800's. Hearing the opinions and attitudes of citizens about the "impossible structure" that would become the Brooklyn Bridge, understanding the need that brought the elevated (and underground) trains to the city, and watching how Edwardian traditions still play out in everyday life were all themes that enhanced this story.
All in all a great story. I believe I will be returning to this series in the future so that I may find out what happens to these characters in the end.
This book was very well written--one of the best historical fiction novels I have read, though my experience in the genre is rather limited. I enjoyed the way that the characters all maintained a sense of independent spirit in the book (at least the main characters, anyway). Each of the main characters is multi-dimensional, and none of them operates with a single-track mind. For example, even the female lead Mollie was very independently-minded considering the time period of the book. She was neither a completely submissive housewife, nor was she of the mindset that she needed to always prove her independent spirit and bring about social change. In fact she was my favorite character in the book because she could be so full of surprises--she might be damsel in distress to comfort her husband (and help boost his confidence) while at the next moment assert herself and her sharp mind (and wit!) to accomplish the task at hand.
Furthermore I appreciated the amount of detail and historical reference this book made to the real New York City circa mid-1800's. Hearing the opinions and attitudes of citizens about the "impossible structure" that would become the Brooklyn Bridge, understanding the need that brought the elevated (and underground) trains to the city, and watching how Edwardian traditions still play out in everyday life were all themes that enhanced this story.
All in all a great story. I believe I will be returning to this series in the future so that I may find out what happens to these characters in the end.
July 14, 2014
If you're looking for a good book about Gilded Age New York, read Savage Girl. It's much better.
This book has a lot of potential, and I think if the author followed another family in addition to Josh and Mollie, it would have been four or even five stars from me. By far the biggest lack was in the medical detail. There was none. Pretty much literally. There were doctors/physicians in the family, but we pretty much never heard from them. That is what I think made this series so great, is seeing the medical knowledge increase and expand with every time jump or new book. But that was missing in this book.
Instead, we got a mostly annoying main character in Josh who can be downright rude to his wife at times, yet charming at others. His personality just didn't work for me. Very few things about him made me like him. I liked Mollie well enough though.
The beginning of the book, with the courting and all that, was fairly interesting, as was the climax, but the soggy middle was just that--soggy. The stuff with the Brooklyn Bridge and the first apartments, etc, are very interesting historical events, sure, but they can't support a book of this length.
If there were a few more characters, or if the main characters had more interesting lives, it might have been four stars. But as it is, it was just too boring for that.
This book has a lot of potential, and I think if the author followed another family in addition to Josh and Mollie, it would have been four or even five stars from me. By far the biggest lack was in the medical detail. There was none. Pretty much literally. There were doctors/physicians in the family, but we pretty much never heard from them. That is what I think made this series so great, is seeing the medical knowledge increase and expand with every time jump or new book. But that was missing in this book.
Instead, we got a mostly annoying main character in Josh who can be downright rude to his wife at times, yet charming at others. His personality just didn't work for me. Very few things about him made me like him. I liked Mollie well enough though.
The beginning of the book, with the courting and all that, was fairly interesting, as was the climax, but the soggy middle was just that--soggy. The stuff with the Brooklyn Bridge and the first apartments, etc, are very interesting historical events, sure, but they can't support a book of this length.
If there were a few more characters, or if the main characters had more interesting lives, it might have been four stars. But as it is, it was just too boring for that.
August 19, 2012
I'd already read one one Swerling's books and enjoyed the historical fiction so I thought I'd check out more. This book was great. It captivated me from the start. The characters are actually descendants from City of Dreams. The book is set in the late 1700s as Manhattan is moving farther north. The main female character lives with her aunt in a whorehouse and is destined to be a spinster (at 21!!). She moves to a boardinghouse and takes a job at Macy's in an attempt to find a husband. She had been altering pants for a man who presumably lost his leg in the civil war (actually lost it after the war getting caught in an animal trap escaping from being a POW). The man wants to thank her and they meet and fall in love an marry. He has grand dreams of building apartments in upper NYC. But he has enemies and others who to piggyback off his success. The couple goes thru many trials and tribulations, meeting interesting characters such as a dwarf, a Jewish pawnseller, an eccentric old woman, and more. The story was packed with action and I didn't want to put it down. You were rooting for the couple the whole time! Everything culminates in a bit of a surprise ending that had me tearing up.
November 11, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars -- I love this series and I hope this is not the last one! Historical fiction with characters you "live" with -- so many emotions. Very interesting saga of the settling and growth of New York. This book was set during the "Gilded Age" (1864-1883) when electricity and underground trains came to the city and things were changing as rapidly as the economy would bear. Futures and fates hung on the decisions of a powerful few!
I am recommitting this to everyone I know -- and I am keeping my fingers crossed that one day it will be a mini series or movie!
I am recommitting this to everyone I know -- and I am keeping my fingers crossed that one day it will be a mini series or movie!
September 8, 2011
This is book #4 (#5 if you count Shadowbrook) and I have to say that so far I like it much better than City of God.
July 15, 2021
I've thoroughly enjoyed Beverly Swerling's four-book series about the Turner and Devrey families and the growth of New York. The first two books were the best, the third (a lopsided attempt at religion) definitely has the best comeuppance I've ever read, and the fourth fell flat. I was hoping for more of the feud between the two families, but I suppose a Devrey wife marrying a Turner man was Swerling's way of putting that to rest. Unfortunately, the last novel became more about New York and how to conduct business there than about the doctor/apothecary struggle that pervaded the previous novels. The wrap up of the series was hasty and a bit contrived, but still, I enjoyed the novels as a whole.
April 13, 2022
Not really a 5-star book in my rating system, but my favorite of the 4-book series, so I'm awarding it an extra star for that. Of the four, this was easily the best, the most action-packed, almost a thriller and certainly a page turner. There was a lot of history to work with, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the els and subway system, the introduction of steel and high-rise steel buildings, the decline of the shipping industry, the growth and decline of Tammany Hall, the end of the Civil War, and the unrelenting growth of the city. Swerling overlays this with a story of violent gangs and the greedy ambitions of unethical men in a loosely policed city and, since this is a Swerling novel, the inevitable gossip and drama that takes place in the whore houses.
September 5, 2020
Actually 3+ And it would have been higher but for some over the top descriptions of misbehavior, not entirely unbelievable, but not believable; some of the characters were a bit flat without real dimension and purpose; and some of the situational coincidences near the end that make it seem the author perhaps was in a hurry to wrap it up and be done. That being said, I really enjoy this series, even if I've enjoyed some others in it more than this one, as I learn each time more history and details of my original hometown, as well as become engaged each time with the characters, most of whom are complex and believable. Overall, an enjoyable and satisfying read.
December 7, 2020
This series started out with such promise for me and just fizzled. Since the Turner-Devrey feud was resolved in the last book, there wasn't much going with this one. The intrigue seemed tired and the main conflict was pretty bland to other books. This one was heavy on the street names and locations. Although it is always neat to see how the city of New York changes through the series, it distracted from the (what little) action on this one. I also expect more society clashes given that it's during the Gilded Age. The War of 1812 book is still the best of the series.
December 9, 2018
Disappointed after having read City of Dreams but I managed to stay stuck with Swerling for the rest of the series which must mean something.
Started off great, thought we would have a strong female role model paving her own way but that turned right into Mollie becoming fully reliant on her husband, turning into a deep depression when they couldn’t have children, letting her husband rape her and not speaking for something like five years? Trash.
Started off great, thought we would have a strong female role model paving her own way but that turned right into Mollie becoming fully reliant on her husband, turning into a deep depression when they couldn’t have children, letting her husband rape her and not speaking for something like five years? Trash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2019
It was a disappointing ending of the saga. First of all, I didn't care for the two main characters or rather, I cared for Molly at the beginning - she seemed a promising female protagonist - but lost the interest halfway. There were many descriptions and not enough (intelligent) action: the whole pseudo-thriller mystery was frankly ridiculous. I didn't care for the long explanations about the production of steel production, either.
February 8, 2021
I have finished Beverly Swerling's four volume tome of Old New York and feel as though I am saying farewell to an old friend. Swerling takes us from the time New York was New Amsterdam to just short of the twentieth century. New York's coming of age paralleled the coming of age of a nation and Generations of Swerling's fictitious Turner family are integral to the rise of New York's prominence. I would highly recommend this for historical fiction devotees.
November 1, 2017
I've only given this book 3 stars, not because it's not well written and engaging, it's just that the reader has to be interested in New York and how it developed, and I have limited interest in that topic. However, for an interested reader I think it'd be a 4-5 star book as Beverly Swerling is a great writer and her stories very engaging.
May 7, 2017
Cumbersome. I like historical fiction, and made it about 3/4's through hoping the writing and story would get better, but stopped reading because it became even more unbelievable and ridiculous towards the end.
October 10, 2020
Everyone of the Old New York series has been a delightful, informative and heartfelt read. Ms Swerling has a way to bring old New York alive and her characters are developed in such a way that they become your friends or your foe as the story grows.
January 19, 2017
This is a great beach book. A few holes in the plot, but not enough to sink it. It has a good pace, good twists, accurate history, and the guys in white hats prevail.
July 13, 2017
3.5 stars
April 15, 2018
Fascinating microcosm of early New York history.
October 13, 2018
No where near as good as the previous books in the series.
September 16, 2019
Where’s the next one??
May 12, 2020
Intrigue & love
Josh & Mollie go through quite a bit to find each other again. Business in NY and lots of twists keep the,story interesting. A good read.
Josh & Mollie go through quite a bit to find each other again. Business in NY and lots of twists keep the,story interesting. A good read.
December 1, 2021
I loved it
Page turning storyline. Fascinating snippets of factual history told through mostly fictional characters living their private lives. The whole series enthralled me.
Page turning storyline. Fascinating snippets of factual history told through mostly fictional characters living their private lives. The whole series enthralled me.
April 4, 2019
a fascinating and imaginative novel that wraps up the birth of the gilded age and the expansion of new york city with a colorful cast of characters. at the same time it’s also a portrait of a marriage and the various ways it can be tested. after reading the dedication i wondered whether the author might have dealt with the loss of a child herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
February 19, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13132180
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13132180
August 30, 2011
I am a loyal fan of Beverly Swerling's book. Rabid, in fact.
City of Promise captured my attention as usual, but, I think the Turner family really went out with a whimper.. not a bang. Josh Turner turned out an angry guy, I think.. and so did his brother Zac who is sort of a mystery without a family of his own. The whole story was a bit flat with an adventure plot that wasn't very thrilling at all.
The finest of all her books-- the one that got me into this series, is and always will be City of Dreams. That book had everything-- it was rich, textured, full of detail and characters to be reckoned with. A phenomenal job which I don't think was repeated in this book.
I will never go to NYCity again without looking for the sites of the Turner and Devrey houses, saloons and waterfront. I look at my beloved NY in a different way now that I've read these books. I know where the city started, and where it tried to end. That's what this series of books did for me.
Sorry Beverly.. I love your work, but this one left me a little flat and wanting more.
I still have to find Mama's Cave, tho. Is it the same one that was depicted in "Gangs of NY"? That's a story in itself!
City of Promise captured my attention as usual, but, I think the Turner family really went out with a whimper.. not a bang. Josh Turner turned out an angry guy, I think.. and so did his brother Zac who is sort of a mystery without a family of his own. The whole story was a bit flat with an adventure plot that wasn't very thrilling at all.
The finest of all her books-- the one that got me into this series, is and always will be City of Dreams. That book had everything-- it was rich, textured, full of detail and characters to be reckoned with. A phenomenal job which I don't think was repeated in this book.
I will never go to NYCity again without looking for the sites of the Turner and Devrey houses, saloons and waterfront. I look at my beloved NY in a different way now that I've read these books. I know where the city started, and where it tried to end. That's what this series of books did for me.
Sorry Beverly.. I love your work, but this one left me a little flat and wanting more.
I still have to find Mama's Cave, tho. Is it the same one that was depicted in "Gangs of NY"? That's a story in itself!
June 6, 2012
In't kort: de New York-saga en de verhalen rond de families Turner en Devrey krijgt een nieuwe aflevering met deze vertelling, gesitueerd op het eind van de 19de eeuw, in de 1880's. Joshua Turner keert terug van de Civil War met een been minder, maar een droom rijker. Hij zal de eerste appartementsblokken in New York doen oprijzen en een vastgoedmagnaat worden.
Uiteraard loopt dat niet over een een leien dakje. We ontmoeten een bordeelhoudster en diens nichtje, enkele dwergen, één van de eerste New Yorkse mafiabonzen, een verknipte kapitein uit het Zuidelijke leger en nog enkele andere zware jongens.
Het loopt uiteindelijk goed af, dat spreekt vanzelf, maar tot het laatste hoofdstuk weet je niet echt hoe de vork in de steel zit. De uiteindelijke afwikkeling is misschien nog het minste deel van het boek, het lijkt een beetje of de auteur er genoeg van had en er snel een eind aan wou breien.
Desondanks heel fijne lectuur, met goeie karaktertekeningen en genoeg onverwachte (en niet-bij-de-haren-getrokken) wendingen om het spannend en meeslepend te houden.
Mijn oordeel: zie al hierboven. Dit was ondertussen nummer 5 van Swerling, en ik heb ze allemaal verslonden en goed bevonden. Deze dus ook. Benieuwd naar wat nog volgt...
Uiteraard loopt dat niet over een een leien dakje. We ontmoeten een bordeelhoudster en diens nichtje, enkele dwergen, één van de eerste New Yorkse mafiabonzen, een verknipte kapitein uit het Zuidelijke leger en nog enkele andere zware jongens.
Het loopt uiteindelijk goed af, dat spreekt vanzelf, maar tot het laatste hoofdstuk weet je niet echt hoe de vork in de steel zit. De uiteindelijke afwikkeling is misschien nog het minste deel van het boek, het lijkt een beetje of de auteur er genoeg van had en er snel een eind aan wou breien.
Desondanks heel fijne lectuur, met goeie karaktertekeningen en genoeg onverwachte (en niet-bij-de-haren-getrokken) wendingen om het spannend en meeslepend te houden.
Mijn oordeel: zie al hierboven. Dit was ondertussen nummer 5 van Swerling, en ik heb ze allemaal verslonden en goed bevonden. Deze dus ook. Benieuwd naar wat nog volgt...
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