Joshua Turner lost one of his legs during the Civil War. His
tragic accident, however, only deepened his resolve to
succeed and realize his grand dreams for New York. Joshua's
life changes when he meets Mollie Brannigan, the niece of
notorious brothel owner, Eileen Brannigan. Josh's and
Mollie's paths cross when Mollie's aunt sends her to work at
Macy's department store as Mollie Popandropolos. Eileen
hopes Mollie's new name and respectable job will give her an
opportunity to find a husband. Resigned to being an old
maid, Mollie is flattered when Josh begins to show romantic
interest in her. Although Mollie fears she will lose Josh's
affection when he learns her true identity, Josh's charm
and genuine warmth make it impossible for Mollie to resist
him for long.
Josh and Mollie become a true love match. With Mollie by his
side, Josh envisions a new way for the people of New York
to live -- in apartments. Josh dreams of providing the
middle class who cannot afford New York's rising costs in
real estate an alternative to tenement living. The
construction of the apartments Josh sees as the new way for
New Yorkers to live depends on the making of steel.
Although Josh acquires the ability to make steel, he must
find a way to convince the people of New York to take up
residence in his new buildings. Josh and Mollie work
together to realize Josh's dream , which will revolutionize
the way the people of New York live. But just when Josh
begins to sell his dream to the people of New York, he must
deal with unexpected obstacles and battle dangerous
enemies.
Anyone interested in American history, especially New York
history, will lose themselves in this epic novel. History
buffs will love the way Beverly Swerling brings to life
nineteenth-century New York. CITY OF PROMISE: A NOVEL OF
NEW YORK'S GILDED AGE takes readers into New York mansions,
slums, and then places readers in the midst of New York's
revolutions in technology. Thomas Edison even makes an
appearance in the novel! The author also brings to life the
rise of gangs and the financial crisis which plagued the
city in the nineteenth century. Josh and Mollie's complex
relationship is just as compelling as Josh's dreams for New
York. Raised by the madame of a brothel, Mollie is a
strong-willed and independent woman who refuses to take a
backseat to her husband's ambitions. This is a novel you
just want to curl up with and read for hours.
A captivating historical epic set in gilded age New York,
City of Promise is the latest installment in Beverly
Swerling’s popular series.
New York, 1864 – crowds hustle from place to place as
horse-drawn trolleys jockey for position on crowded streets.
Vanderbilt’s new Grand Central Depot and the glittering
Ladies’ Mile shine as beacons of the city’s burgeoning
wealth. This is New York in a time of unyielding progress
and technological wonder, a bustling metropolis coming into
its own, its skyline transformed by the proliferation of
ever-taller buildings and by the Brooklyn Bridge slowing
rising out of the East River.
Joshua Turner returns home from the War with only one leg,
but his ambition intact. He sees opportunity in the city’s
rapidly changing landscape and conceives a way to capitalize
on the exponential growth of a new class of worker, able to
afford better than a dreary boarding house. Land may be in
short supply in the island city, but Manhattan, Joshua
knows, possesses unlimited air. He envisions the apartment
house for everyman, and sets out to become one of the city’s
first real estate titans. Along the way he meets the
irresistible Mollie Brannigan, whose upbringing in a brothel
has taught her more than she wants to know about men, but
will make her his perfect wife.
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