Ursina's Shelf - New York through the ages
Issue 23
Dear Readers,
When I first started this newsletter last year and brainstormed topics for issues, New York immediately came to mind. The problem was how to narrow down the long list of New York books and this conundrum was only made harder when talking with friends and family, so today I will share three recommendations from Matthew, Cheyenne, and myself depicting New York in different time periods. Let’s start chronologically.
My pic
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)
Description: Set in upper class New York in the 1870s, the story centers on an engaged couple and the return of a much less innocent cousin from Europe, who endangers their love and impending marriage.
My take: To me, this is an American Jane Austen story with the same detailed and subtle sarcastic examination of society and its norms and beliefs, while also weaving in an intriguing plot that keeps readers turning page after page. I set out to read this classic assuming it would be rather dull and was delighted it turned out to be the opposite: thoroughly entertaining.
Bonus fact: This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921, making Wharton the first woman to receive this prize.
Cheyenne's pic
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943)
Description: This semi-autobiographical work is set in the late 1910's, back when a penny actually had value. For example, the family portrayed came into some unexpected wealth and it was a joyous occasion; said wealth comprised of less than one dollar. The tale follows Francie, a young girl growing up in Brooklyn and covers her life, both eventful and sometimes uneventful.
Cheyenne’s take: "I remember thinking the writing was beautiful, the story compelling, and the characters seemingly very real (for that era). Though it has been more than a decade since I read it, I would love to re-read it. Little tidbits from the story have stuck with me all this time: like the mother nailing a tin can in the closet to save money to buy land because that was the only way to "get ahead"... and the ultimate heartbreak of having to rip out the can when times were hard. There are sad aspects of the book, but ultimately it champions perseverance and education while having a hopeful lilt, themes that never grow old."
Bonus fact: Cheyenne recommends the Lower East Side Tenement Museum as a great way to get a feel for the New York of that era.
Matthew's pic
The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (2011)
Description: “It is set in New York in the 1930s and follows Katey Kontent, a 25-year-old woman from Brooklyn who reinvents herself in hopes of living a more interesting and fulfilling life in Manhattan. She has a chance encounter with a banker at a jazz bar in the West Village on New Years Eve in 1937 that touches off a chain-reaction that defines her adult life.”
Matthew's take: “I love this book because New York City is very much a character that Towles brings to life. From dive bars on the Lower East Side to stately mansions on the Upper East Side and everywhere in between, I can imagine the world Katey walks through as I walk through the same streets today. It is a very New York story where you can be anyone you want to be for better or worse. And while it is a period piece, it is also a very modern story of people from different walks of life claiming their place in a complicated world.”
Bonus tip: Amor Towles’ other famous book A Gentleman in Moscow was featured in my very first newsletter.
New York, New York
More books about New York have been appearing throughout this newsletter…
The Color of Water and The Great Gatsby in the Back to school issue, Brain on Fire and We Need to Talk About Kevin in the Inspired by true events issue, the God’s Love We Deliver cookbook and The Dogist Puppies in the Gift Guide 2020 issue, the play Doubt, a Parable in the Plays to read at home issue, and Red at the Bone in the audiobook issue Listen up.
Currently reading: Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond by Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar.
New York will certainly be featured again. Please send me your tips. I miss New York and feel a nostalgia for the vibrant New York so many of us love. Many hugs to all and cannot wait for a trip to see New York family and friends soon.