May 22, 2020
And here comes summer…though it’s been very cool here this week with a few mornings in the 40s! It’s not going to be the same holiday weekend this year without our small town parade through the center of town. It’s one of my favorite traditions, and it kicks off summer. I love every part of it. But alas, like so many other things, we will be waiting for next year to enjoy it.
Editorial Content for Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In her latest political work, TEAM OF FIVE, Kate Andersen Brower identifies several areas of presidential life that occur in all tenures of the five men on this team. After the death of George H. W. Bush in 2018, four remain in the exclusive Presidents Club: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The book crisscrosses their lives and experiences against the backdrop of our current president, Donald Trump, and his self-created loner status. Read More
Teaser
After serving the highest office of American government, five men --- Jimmy Carter, the late George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama --- became members of the world’s most exclusive fraternity. In TEAM OF FIVE, Kate Andersen Brower goes beyond the White House to uncover what, exactly, comes after the presidency, offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents, and how each of these men views his place in a nation that was upended by the Oval Office’s former, norm-breaking occupant, Donald Trump.
Promo
After serving the highest office of American government, five men --- Jimmy Carter, the late George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama --- became members of the world’s most exclusive fraternity. In TEAM OF FIVE, Kate Andersen Brower goes beyond the White House to uncover what, exactly, comes after the presidency, offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents, and how each of these men views his place in a nation that was upended by the Oval Office’s former, norm-breaking occupant, Donald Trump.
About the Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE RESIDENCE and FIRST WOMEN --- also a New York Times bestseller --- comes a poignant, news-making look at the lives of the five former presidents in the wake of their White House years, including the surprising friendships they have formed through shared perspective and empathy.
After serving the highest office of American government, five men --- Jimmy Carter, the late George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama --- became members of the world’s most exclusive fraternity. In TEAM OF FIVE, Kate Andersen Brower goes beyond the White House to uncover what, exactly, comes after the presidency, offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents, and how each of these men views his place in a nation that was upended by the Oval Office’s former, norm-breaking occupant, Donald Trump.
With an empathetic yet critical eye and firsthand testimony from the Carters, Donald Trump, and the top aides, friends and family members of the five former presidents, TEAM OF FIVE takes us inside the exclusive world of these powerful men and their families, including the unlikely friendship between George W. Bush and Michelle Obama, the last private visits Bill Clinton and Barack Obama shared with George H.W. Bush, and the Obamas’ flight to Palm Springs after Donald Trump’s inauguration. Perhaps most timely, this insightful, illuminating book overflows with anecdotes about how the ex-presidents are working to combat President Trump’s attempts to undo the achievements and hard work accomplished during their own terms.
Perhaps most poignantly, TEAM OF FIVE sheds light on the inherent loneliness and inevitable feelings of powerlessness and frustration that come with no longer being the most important person in the world, but a leader with only symbolic power. There are ways, though, that these men, and their wives, have become powerful political and cultural forces in American life, even as so-called “formers.”
Audiobook available, read by Erin Bennett
Editorial Content for A Good Marriage
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Kimberly McCreight burst onto the literary scene in 2013 with her first novel, RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA, which garnered Edgar, Anthony and Alex Award nominations. Many readers, like myself, have been waiting for lightning to strike twice for her, and I believe that time may have come with her latest release, A GOOD MARRIAGE. Read More
Teaser
Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie Kitsakis was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. With that job and her brilliant, devoted husband, Sam, she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then it all fell apart. The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help --- even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. His wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach is the primary suspect. As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed --- and that their friends might be protecting troubling secrets of their own.
Promo
Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie Kitsakis was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. With that job and her brilliant, devoted husband, Sam, she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then it all fell apart. The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help --- even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. His wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach is the primary suspect. As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed --- and that their friends might be protecting troubling secrets of their own.
About the Book
BIG LITTLE LIES meets PRESUMED INNOCENT in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA, in which a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make --- and the secrets they keep --- in order to stay together.
Lizzie Kitsakis is working late when she gets the call. Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. That job and her brilliant, devoted husband Sam --- she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then, suddenly, it all fell apart.
No. That’s a lie. It wasn’t sudden, was it? Long ago the cracks in Lizzie’s marriage had started to show. She was just good at averting her eyes.
The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help --- even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. But Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach’s the primary suspect.
As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed --- and that their friends, a close-knit group of fellow parents at the exclusive Brooklyn Country Day school, might be protecting troubling secrets of their own. In the end, she’s left wondering not only whether her own marriage can be saved, but what it means to have a good marriage in the first place.
Audiobook available; read by Sarah Zimmerman, Karissa Vacker and George Newbern
Editorial Content for Lou Gehrig: The Lost Memoir
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Would there be so many books about Lou Gehrig had he not died such a tragic death? Does the contraction of the disease that now bears his name make him any more or less a worthy subject than many of his contemporaries? At the risk of courting controversy, I don’t think it does. Read More
Teaser
At the tender age of 24, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou’s star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou’s tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Until now, those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history. Lou comes alive in this inspiring memoir. It is a heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a dirt poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time.
Promo
At the tender age of 24, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou’s star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou’s tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Until now, those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history. Lou comes alive in this inspiring memoir. It is a heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a dirt poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time.
About the Book
The lost memoir from Lou Gehrig --- “a compelling rumination by a baseball icon and a tragic hero” (Sports Illustrated) and “a fitting tribute to an inspiring baseball legend” (Publishers Weekly).
At the tender age of 24, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou’s star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou’s tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Until now, those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history.
Lou comes alive in this inspiring memoir. It is a heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a dirt poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time.
Fourteen years after his account, Lou would tragically die from ALS, a neuromuscular disorder now known as Lou Gherig’s Disease. His poignant autobiography is followed by an insightful biographical essay by historian Alan D. Gaff. Here is Lou --- Hall of Famer, All Star, MVP, an “athlete who epitomized the American dream” (Christian Science Monitor) --- back at bat.
Audiobook available, read by Angelo Di Loreto and Kyle Tait
Editorial Content for I'd Give Anything
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
There’s nothing that Marisa de los Santos writes that I won’t read. Her writing is warm and accessible, like open arms welcoming us into the story. Read More
Teaser
While the town cheers on their high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Gray Marsden’s father, a firefighter, dies in the blaze. While many believe that a notoriously troubled local teen set the fire, Gray’s best friend, Ginny Beale, makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world --- but she tells no one. Over the next two decades, Ginny distances herself from the past and nearly everyone in it. But when her husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles. Just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for 20 years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.
Promo
While the town cheers on their high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Gray Marsden’s father, a firefighter, dies in the blaze. While many believe that a notoriously troubled local teen set the fire, Gray’s best friend, Ginny Beale, makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world --- but she tells no one. Over the next two decades, Ginny distances herself from the past and nearly everyone in it. But when her husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles. Just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for 20 years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.
About the Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME comes a profound and heart-rending story about a horrific tragedy that marks one woman and her hometown and about the explosive secrets that come to light 20 years later.
Ginny Beale is 18, irreverent, funny and brave, with a brother she adores and a circle of friends for whom she would do anything. Because of one terrible night, she loses them all --- and her adventurous spirit --- seemingly forever. While the town cheers on the high school football team, someone sets the school’s auditorium ablaze. Ginny’s best friend Gray Marsden’s father, a firefighter, dies in the blaze.
While many in the town believe a notoriously troubled local teen set the fire, Ginny makes a shattering discovery that casts blame on the person she trusts most in the world. Ginny tells no one, but the secret isolates her, looming between her and her friends and ruining their friendship.
Over the next two decades, Ginny puts aside her wanderlust and her dreams. Moving back to her hometown, she distances herself from the past and from nearly everyone in it. She marries a quiet man, raises their daughter, Avery, and cares for her tyrannical, ailing mother, Adela. But when Ginny’s husband, Harris, becomes embroiled in a scandal, Ginny’s carefully controlled life crumbles, and, just when she believes she is regaining her bearings, the secret she’s kept for 20 years emerges and threatens to destroy her hopes for the future.
With the help of 15-year-old Avery and of friends both old and new, Ginny must summon the courage to confront old lies and hard truths, and to free herself and the people she loves from the mistakes and regrets that have burdened them for so long.
Audiobook available, read by Caitlin Kelly
Editorial Content for These Women
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In her thoughtful, carefully wrought novels, Ivy Pochoda seems to have taken on the task of granting attention and dignity to the lives of people whose existence is often glossed over or outright ignored, both in fiction and in life. She continues this project in her fourth book, THESE WOMEN, which centers on the brutal murders of women --- many of them prostitutes --- in a particularly rundown area of South Central Los Angeles.
Read More
Teaser
Five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish are connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.
Promo
Five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish are connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.
About the Book
From the award-winning author of WONDER VALLEY and VISITATION STREET comes a serial killer story like you’ve never seen before --- a literary thriller of female empowerment and social change.
In West Adams, a rapidly changing part of South Los Angeles, they’re referred to as “these women.” These women on the corner... These women in the club... These women who won’t stop asking questions... These women who got what they deserved...
In her masterful new novel, Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer nicknamed Jujubee, who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.
Written with beauty and grit, tension and grace, THESE WOMEN is a glorious display of storytelling, a once-in-a-generation novel.
Audiobook available, read by Bahni Turpin and Frankie Corzo
Editorial Content for Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Life has veered way off course for 39-year-old Brooke. Living with her caustic mother in West Los Angeles is no picnic, but with little money and a toddler to support, she has to make the best of it. The shining light in her life is two-year-old Etta. Brooke’s decision to have a baby, however, ended her marriage to the man who said from day one that he never wanted children. She misses him, but has no regrets about the beautiful little girl who holds her heart and brings her joy beyond compare. Read More
Teaser
Brooke is a divorced single mom who holds tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all she can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is. Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge, and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed.
Promo
Brooke is a divorced single mom who holds tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all she can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night. Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is. Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge, and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed.
About the Book
From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood and the journey toward finding a place to call home.
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night.
Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is.
Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost --- and what’s found --- can change in a heartbeat.
Audiobook available, read by Kate Rudd and Jess Nahikian
Editorial Content for Old Lovegood Girls
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
At 82, Gail Godwin is one of our national literary treasures. Since the publication of her first novel, THE PERFECTIONISTS, in 1970, she has penned numerous well-crafted and award-winning works that are still cherished by readers today. And she shows no signs of slowing down with the release of her most recent effort, OLD LOVEGOOD GIRLS. Read More
Teaser
In 1958, Feron Hood and Merry Jellicoe are roommates at Lovegood Junior College for Girls. Feron, who has narrowly escaped from a dark past, instantly takes to Merry and her composed personality. Surrounded by the traditions and four-story Doric columns of Lovegood, the girls --- and their friendship --- begin to thrive. But underneath their fierce friendship is a stronger, stranger bond, one comprised of secrets, rivalry and influence --- with neither of them able to predict that Merry is about to lose everything she grew up taking for granted, and that their time together will be cut short. Ten years later, Feron and Merry haven't spoken since college. Life has led them into vastly different worlds. But, as Feron says, once someone is inside your “reference aura,” she stays there forever.
Promo
In 1958, Feron Hood and Merry Jellicoe are roommates at Lovegood Junior College for Girls. Feron, who has narrowly escaped from a dark past, instantly takes to Merry and her composed personality. Surrounded by the traditions and four-story Doric columns of Lovegood, the girls --- and their friendship --- begin to thrive. But underneath their fierce friendship is a stronger, stranger bond, one comprised of secrets, rivalry and influence --- with neither of them able to predict that Merry is about to lose everything she grew up taking for granted, and that their time together will be cut short. Ten years later, Feron and Merry haven't spoken since college. Life has led them into vastly different worlds. But, as Feron says, once someone is inside your “reference aura,” she stays there forever.
About the Book
From the bestselling, award-winning author of FLORA and EVENSONG comes the story of two remarkable women and the complex friendship between them that spans decades.
When the dean of Lovegood Junior College for Girls decides to pair Feron Hood with Merry Jellicoe as roommates in 1958, she has no way of knowing the far-reaching consequences of the match. Feron, who has narrowly escaped from a dark past, instantly takes to Merry and her composed personality. Surrounded by the traditions and four-story Doric columns of Lovegood, the girls --- and their friendship --- begin to thrive. But underneath their fierce friendship is a stronger, stranger bond, one comprised of secrets, rivalry and influence --- with neither of them able to predict that Merry is about to lose everything she grew up taking for granted, and that their time together will be cut short.
Ten years later, Feron and Merry haven't spoken since college. Life has led them into vastly different worlds. But, as Feron says, once someone is inside your “reference aura,” she stays there forever. And when each woman finds herself in need of the other's essence, that spark --- that remarkable affinity, unbroken by time --- between them is reignited, and their lives begin to shift as a result.
Luminous and masterfully crafted, OLD LOVEGOOD GIRLS is the story of a powerful friendship between talented writers, two college friends who have formed a bond that takes them through decades of a fast-changing world, finding and losing and finding again the one friendship that defines them.
Editorial Content for Here We Are: My Friendship with Philip Roth
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
My connection with author Philip Roth takes me back more than a half-century. While visiting relatives in Winnipeg, Canada, in the summer of 1961, a member of the group remarked about a book he was reading. It so impressed him that he went out to his car, returned with it, and read aloud portions of the novella describing a Jewish wedding in Newark, New Jersey. I listened attentively, but it would be a few years before I myself would read GOODBYE, COLUMBUS, a collection of stories that remains vivid in my memory. Read More
Teaser
HERE WE ARE is Benjamin Taylor's unvarnished portrait of his best friend and one of America's greatest writers. Philip Roth's place in the canon is secure, but less clear is what the man himself was like. Here, we see Roth as a mortal man, experiencing the joys and sorrows of aging, reflecting on his own writing, and doing something we all love to do: passing the time in the company of his closest friend. An ode to friendship and its wondrous ability to brighten our lives in unexpected ways, Taylor’s memoir pays tribute to a friend in the way that only a writer can.
Promo
HERE WE ARE is Benjamin Taylor's unvarnished portrait of his best friend and one of America's greatest writers. Philip Roth's place in the canon is secure, but less clear is what the man himself was like. Here, we see Roth as a mortal man, experiencing the joys and sorrows of aging, reflecting on his own writing, and doing something we all love to do: passing the time in the company of his closest friend. An ode to friendship and its wondrous ability to brighten our lives in unexpected ways, Taylor’s memoir pays tribute to a friend in the way that only a writer can.
About the Book
A deeply felt, beautifully crafted meditation on friendship and loss in the vein of A YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, and a touching portrait of Philip Roth from his closest friend.
When I entered the examining room twenty minutes after our arrival at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Philip said, "No more books." Thus he announced his retirement.
So begins Benjamin Taylor's HERE WE ARE, the unvarnished portrait of his best friend and one of America's greatest writers. Philip Roth's place in the canon is secure, but less clear is what the man himself was like. In Benjamin Taylor's beautifully constructed memoir, we see Roth as a mortal man, experiencing the joys and sorrows of aging, reflecting on his own writing, and doing something we all love to do: passing the time in the company of his closest friend.
An ode to friendship and its wondrous ability to brighten our lives in unexpected ways, HERE WE ARE pays tribute to a friend in the way that only a writer can. Roth encouraged Taylor to write this book, giving him explicit instructions not to sugarcoat anything and not to publish it until after his death. Taylor's memoir will be the definitive account of Philip Roth as he lived for years to come.
Audiobook available, read by Benjamin Taylor
Editorial Content for The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Excellent topic. Excellent scope. Excellent writing. Susan Berfield’s THE HOUR OF FATE takes on an explosive time of transition in our nation by focusing on the two titans most central to the fight: Theodore Roosevelt and J.P. Morgan. When the final page is turned, we have accompanied the nation along its journey out of the Gilded Age and into the Progressive Era guided by Roosevelt’s slogan, “A square deal for every man, big or small, rich or poor.” Read More
Teaser
In the summer of 1901, J.P. Morgan was assembling his next mega-deal: Northern Securities, an enterprise that would affirm his dominance in America's most important industry --- the railroads. Then a bullet from an anarchist's gun put an end to the business-friendly presidency of William McKinley. A new chief executive bounded into office: Theodore Roosevelt. By March 1902, battle lines were drawn: the government sued Northern Securities for antitrust violations. But as the case ramped up, the coal miners' union went on strike, and the anthracite pits that fueled Morgan's trains and heated the homes of Roosevelt's citizens went silent. With millions of dollars on the line and revolution in the air, it was a crisis that neither man alone could solve.
Promo
In the summer of 1901, J.P. Morgan was assembling his next mega-deal: Northern Securities, an enterprise that would affirm his dominance in America's most important industry --- the railroads. Then a bullet from an anarchist's gun put an end to the business-friendly presidency of William McKinley. A new chief executive bounded into office: Theodore Roosevelt. By March 1902, battle lines were drawn: the government sued Northern Securities for antitrust violations. But as the case ramped up, the coal miners' union went on strike, and the anthracite pits that fueled Morgan's trains and heated the homes of Roosevelt's citizens went silent. With millions of dollars on the line and revolution in the air, it was a crisis that neither man alone could solve.
About the Book
A riveting narrative of Wall Street buccaneering, political intrigue, and two of American history's most colossal characters, struggling for mastery in an era of social upheaval and rampant inequality.
It seemed like no force in the world could slow J.P. Morgan's drive to power. In the summer of 1901, the financier was assembling his next mega-deal: Northern Securities, an enterprise that would affirm his dominance in America's most important industry --- the railroads.
Then a bullet from an anarchist's gun put an end to the business-friendly presidency of William McKinley. A new chief executive bounded into office: Theodore Roosevelt. He was convinced that as big business got bigger, the government had to check the influence of the wealthiest or the country would inch ever closer to collapse. By March 1902, battle lines were drawn: the government sued Northern Securities for antitrust violations. But as the case ramped up, the coal miners' union went on strike, and the anthracite pits that fueled Morgan's trains and heated the homes of Roosevelt's citizens went silent. With millions of dollars on the line, winter bearing down, and revolution in the air, it was a crisis that neither man alone could solve.
Richly detailed and propulsively told, THE HOUR OF FATE is the gripping story of a banker and a president thrown together in the crucible of national emergency even as they fought in court. The outcome of the strike and the case would change the course of our history. Today, as the country again asks whether saving democracy means taming capital, the lessons of Roosevelt and Morgan's time are more urgent than ever.
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Woodward





