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North River: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Pete Hamill
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy Used: $3.44
You Save: $11.55 (77%)
New (34) Used (26) from $3.44
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 19214
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0316007994
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780316007993
ASIN: 0316007994
Publication Date: June 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Almost Good. Book is intatct with a tight spine and no marking. Cover has wear mainly along the edges. Front and back covers bow up. Good Readable Book
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Product Description
One snowy New Year's Day, in the midst of the Great Depression, Dr. James Delaney--haunted by the slaughters of the Great War, and abandoned by his wife and daughter--returns home to find his three-year-old grandson on his doorstep, left by his mother in Delaney's care. Coping with this unexpected arrival, Delaney hires Rose, a tough, decent Sicilian woman with a secret in her past. Slowly, as Rose and the boy begin to care for the good doctor, the numbness in Delaney begins to melt. Recreating 1930s New York with the vibrancy and rich detail that are his trademarks, Pete Hamill weaves a story of honor, family, and one man's simple courage that no reader will soon forget.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 True To The Times September 5, 2008
North River is not only about the loves of the main character, Dr. Delaney, it is about Pete Hamill's love of New York City. The book follows Delaney from the time he discovers his grandchild on his front step through a series of hard knocks and helping hands. Set during the Depression, Hamill imbues this book with all the sensitivity of people in need and people willing to help.
The center piece of the novel is the evolving relationship between Delaney and Rosa, a woman sent to help him raise his grandchild. As they find each other, the people of the neighborhood show themselves to be as human as the two main characters, complete with all the nuances one would expect from a melting pot of immigrants. At times the plot stutters but it's no bother. The characters carry you through this world that Hamill renders so clearly.
This book is best read in a couple of sittings, preferably in the winter, when you can gaze out the window and see the characters alive and well.
 North River a joy from beginning to end August 28, 2008
As an avid Pete Hamill fan, I was not disappointed in North River. I put it right up there with Forever and Snow in August. I was lost in the story, and felt a kinship with Dr. Delaney, Carlito, Rose, and Grace. I pictured Molly, and was sad when her remains were found, yet saw a clear path for Rose, which tempered my melancholy. In reading the reviews, I don't remember anyone mentioning the obscure allusion to Cormac O'Connor, the character from Forever. I enjoyed the tiny "cameo" appearance by another Hamill character that remains fondly in my memories.
C. Hays
Understanding another time July 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a well written novel about New York during the depression. The streets, neighborhoods, people and customs of that place are described in intimate detail. The story is a somber tale of loss, heartbreak, and hope. The characters suffer from generations of abandonment, and they reenact the same drama with their children. This is also the story of one courageous person who breaks the pattern.
As a physician, I could understand part of the protagonist's experience. He is exposed to so much pain and suffering that it changes his life. The author describes this in a remarkable way, one that is very accurate.
The writing is skillful, although this is not a page-turner. The pace is slow. There is as much reflection as there is action. Through this novel I came to better understand the constraints on people of that time and place. They risked social oblivion if they fell in love with someone of another class. I believe that it is an accurate portrayal of the social mores of the 1930's. Although I found myself depressed at some points, and considered moving on to other reading, I was ultimately glad that I finished the book. I did not always enjoy the novel while reading it, but enjoyment is only one reason to read. This is the type of book that you think about for a long time, one that changes the way you think about the people that came before us. That was worth the price of admission.
Really 4.5 -- Great Characters & So Relevant!! July 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Here is why I really liked this book. 1] Doc Delaney is an amazing character; 2] Actually, most of the characters [the gangsters are almost sraight from The Godfather!] in North River are beautifully rendered [good nuance]; 3] Hamill is in a "New York State of Mind" and I so relate to this!; 4] The Depression Era is expertly drawn and the relevance to today's market is almost prescient; 5] Okay, why not a 5 star review? It drags a bit and is fairly predictable -- although any other ending would have been a disaster. 6] Highly recommended if you are a character-driven reader.
 Great New York City nostalgia, so-so plot July 16, 2008
As an ex-pat native New Yorker I loved the historical detail and descriptions of the Greenwich Village area. But, oh, what a predictable plot and what stereotypical characters. Frankly, boring. If you're not interested in period N.Y.C. give it a pass.
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