Kings of Broken Things

Wheeler's debut novel is set among the rich ethnic and immigrant communities of Omaha during the final chaotic days of World War I. Karel Miihlstein tries to escape from the war in Europe. Jake Strauss committed a violent act that forced him from home. Evie Chambers wants to leave the life of a kept woman supported by gamblers. They come together as the city experiences serious political, social, and racial changes. Traumatized U.S. soldiers return home to find their factory and stockyard jobs filled by African Americans moving north from the segregated South. White men and women compete against blacks in both employment and baseball. Unscrupulous local politicians stoke racial tensions for their own gain, culminating in a horrible act of mob violence. Wheeler places his range of colorful characters within the broad span of American history in the early part of the 20th century. Reader Christopher Lane excellently gives voice to the cast and moves the story along.