Description

The Rev. Jonah Dove is the son of a legendary Harlem minister, and a man troubled in both mind and spirit. He feels himself unworthy and incapable of taking up the burden of running his church from the larger–than–life figure who is his father. He is haunted both by his own, shameful history of "passing" as a white man in college, and by the prospects for his people in the harsh, new, racist age he fears the world is entering. Malcolm Little –– better known as Malcom X –– is a teenage hustler from Lansing, Michigan by way of Boston, a young man on the make, trying always to be something bigger, tougher, savvier, and more confident than he really is.

On his way to New York, Malcolm happens to come to the rescue of Jonah and his wife, Amanda, when they are attacked by some drunken soldiers on the train. From then on, their paths cross repeatedly as they each go about trying to find what they really want out of the roiling, wartime city, until the moment when Harlem finally erupts around them, as a people driven beyond endurance strikes out blindly at all the forces keeping it entrapped in misery and hopelessness. Stranded on the streets of a rioting city, Jonah and Malcolm meet each other once more, as they come to grips with what they are and what the future will hold for them.

About the Author

Kevin Baker is the bestselling author of the novels Dreamland, Paradise Alley, and Sometimes You See It Coming. He is a columnist for American Heritage magazine and a regular contributor to the New York Times, Harper's, and other periodicals. He lives in New York City with his wife, the writer Ellen Abrams, and their cat, Stella.

Praise For…

“Baker plunges audaciously into the world of Harlem in the early 1940’s ... fresh and new.” — New York Times Book Review

“Nobody makes historical fiction burn like Kevin Baker.” — Washington Post

“Ambitious, at times transcendent .... brings to vibrant life a notable chapter in New York City history.” — Entertainment Weekly

“Daring … [Baker is] the best writer of historical fiction currently practicing.” — Los Angeles Times

“Ambitious [and] well-researched.” — USA Today

“An ambitious, cinematic tale…Kevin Baker is a rare talent.” — Boston Globe

“Kevin Baker, the lit world’s sharpest chronicler of New York’s past, scores again.” — Rolling Stone

“Transporting … Baker’s evocation of old Harlem is intoxicating and jampacked with colorful details.” — Washington Post MediaMix

“A grand historical drama … captivating … the novel comes fully alive, rife with possibilities.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Genius … sprawling, chaotic, noisy and intriguing as its setting, New York City.” — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review