First published 1996
A young man flees his home in Paterson, New Jersey during the Great Depression. He makes his way to New York City, where he discovers the brutal realities of survival before joining a traveling carnival. One frozen night in the Adirondack Mountains, he witnesses a private train speeding through the darkness. Through the illuminated windows, he glimpses an wealthy industrialist, a poet, a criminal, and a stunning young woman. Drawn by this vision, he tracks them to their destination: a secluded estate on Loon Lake. There he enters a world of wealth and corruption where powerful men pursue their desires without restraint. The estate becomes a battleground of competing ambitions, violent passions, and conflicting loyalties. As the young protagonist navigates this treacherous landscape, he confronts the brutal machinery of American capitalism and the human cost of unchecked power. His journey exposes the gap between the promise of the American dream and its harsh reality.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-commentary
Setting: Paterson, New Jersey, New York City, Adirondack Mountains, Loon Lake
Period: Great Depression
255 pages · Paperback · Plume
Content warnings: violence