First published 2008
Hans, a Dutch banker, wakes up each day in his room at the Chelsea Hotel. His English wife and son have returned to London after September 11th transformed New York into something unrecognizable. The city feels foreign now, though he once called it home. Wandering through his new reality, Hans discovers New York's cricket scene, a world populated by immigrants from across the globe. Here he meets Chuck Ramkissoon, a Trinidadian dreamer who sees endless possibility in America. Chuck becomes Hans's guide to a different New York, one filled with strivers and believers from every corner of the world. Through cricket matches and long conversations, Chuck tries to restore Hans's faith in his adopted country. But Chuck's optimism clashes with Hans's growing doubt about American promises. As Hans navigates this friendship, he must also confront his crumbling marriage and his own sense of displacement in a changed world.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Chelsea Hotel, London, New York
Period: September 11th
269 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon