Arrivederci New York

By: Eugene Christy

Narrated by: Eugene Christy

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

It's 1899. An illegal immigrant, Tony LaStoria, just 10 years old, an unaccompanied minor, the son of a tailor, lands in New York and then must make his way in the world's greatest city. Overcoming every crisis, Tony finds a partnership to last a lifetime in his friend Harry Spritzka, whose family, Jews from Vilna, are in the apparel trade. Manhattan, the island, is the Bangladesh of 1905. Seventy percent of all store-bought clothing in America is made in Manhattan. Together, in the wide-open, unregulated garment industry of that explosive time, the boys succeed in becoming teenage businessmen by the time they're 16. Harry plays the entrepreneur, Tony, his trusted floor-manager, and the only thing that can come between them is - a girl named Laura.

©2020 Eugene Christy (P)2020 Eugene Christy

A Compelling Story of a young immigrant in NYC

What was it really like to be a child immigrant from a village in Italy to bustling New York at the turn of the century? There are as many answers as there were immigrants. Gene Christy’s new novel gives voice to those experiences. It is an absorbing story, well told and well voiced. The book info says it is the first volume of a quintet. I’m looking forward to listening to the next part.

The world was different a century ago. Certainly, exploitation, racism, misogyny, and the casual destruction of human lives are with us today. But in the New York City of 1900, there was no safety net. There were only hard work, family and friends, or failure and death. The city’s message was clear: Find a way to survive. Our protagonist Tony, still a child when he steps off the boat, absorbs that message into the marrow of his bones. He becomes obsessed with making his way in a city that owes him no favors. The story that emerges is one that is woven into the story of New York City, yet it is seen through the eyes of a boy who is coming of age. The details are sharp and the emotions are true to the time.

Christy paints a three-dimensional picture of New York City, its neighborhoods and characters, and the cultural milieu. The Italians stick together, and so does everyone else. The powerless are abused, and nearly everyone is powerless. I could feel the great pulse of the city in Christy’s narrative.

Christy narrates his own book. At first, that gave me pause, since most people advise authors to leave it to the pros. But it turns out that he is perfect for his book. He has the accent of the people, and gives a dramatic reading that makes the pages really come alive. I hope he continues to read for the rest of his quintet.

Young adults will enjoy this novel as well. Highly recommended!