An engrossing book that seamlessly weaves human drama with historical racism in 1920’s Oregon.  “Nobody” or Alice, wounded in almost every way, is on the run from the Mafia in Prohibition-era Harlem, and lands in Portland’s only hotel for blacks. The story begins and sweeps the reader into the lives of the unforgettable residents of the hotel. And then the Ku Klux Klan shows up.  A cracking good read.

“This historical novel, which carries strong reverberations of present-day social and cultural upheavals, contains a message from a century ago that’s useful to our own time: ‘We need to do better at solving things.’ A riveting multilevel thriller of race, sex, and mob violence that throbs with menace as it hums with wit.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The Paragon Hotel is set a century ago, but its themes of social and cultural upheaval feel sufficiently fresh that you might think twice about calling Lyndsay Faye’s sixth novel historical fiction. But calling it terrific—not for a minute should you hesitate to do that….The great strength of “The Paragon Hotel” is Ms. Faye’s voice—a blend of film noir and screwball comedy….The jauntiness of the prose doesn’t hide the fact that Ms. Faye has serious business on her mind. At bottom, The Paragon Hotel is about identity and about family—those we’re born into and those we create.”—The Wall Street Journal

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