FICTION

Palisades Park

by Alan Brennert
St. Martin's. Apr. 2013. 432p. ISBN 9780312643720. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250024336. F
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Following Moloka'i, a best-selling, sweeping novel set in Hawaii, Brennert again writes his specialty—a book that has such a strong sense of place, the location becomes the story's main character. This time we are swept into the lives of "carnies" and the generations of families that work for amusement parks. In 1930s New Jersey, seven-year-old Toni Stopka and her family run a french-fry stand at the Palisades Amusement Park. Toni dreams of becoming a high diver, one of the few women who climb a 100-foot ladder to dive into a six-foot-deep saltwater pool. As times change, through World War II and onto the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, we follow Toni and her family while they chase their dreams, sometimes at extremely high costs to others and themselves.
VERDICT This tightly researched book (the author grew up at the foot of the Palisades) makes for fascinating reading, down to the tiniest authentic detail: how fries are made on 100 degree summer days, how Toni learns to dive, how her brother Jack fares at war. For those who want to escape the late winter/early spring doldrums, this nostalgic coming-of-age tale of a little girl with big dreams is the perfect read. [See Prepub Alert, 10/8/12; library marketing.]
Reviewed by Beth Gibbs, Davidson NC , Feb 01, 2013
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