Port City
Eliot Sefrin
978-1-942016-95-3
$19.95 Paperback/$27.95 Hardcover/$7.99 eBook
Port City — a study in contrasts. Henry McFarland, steeped in the privileged life of the elite, is relatively oblivious to the plight of workers in New York City. . . . He gets a taste of his own perspective’s impact when events shift his world enough to challenge his curmudgeonly view of wealth and social have-nots.
Eliot Sefrin does a particularly good job of capturing New York City’s social and political changes in a bygone era, the “science of the harbor” and those who interact with its processes and businesses, and, especially, the insights of those who navigate its murky waters.
Vivid descriptions explore what goes on beneath the surface of many local issues and events, bringing New York City and its interests to life. . . . Discussions of labor disputes and opposing sides assume a compelling countenance.
Port City sifts through layers of legal, social, and political history, resting its findings on strong characters whose disparate viewpoints drive home a series of points about change, adaptation, and growth.
Libraries seeking historical fiction that sizzles with interpersonal and group encounters and perspectives will welcome Port City into their collections. Quite simply, it’s a supercharged saga of transformation that will entertain while immersing readers in situations that reflect how people grow—sometimes, against all odds.
Diane Donovan for
Donovan’s Bookshelf & Midwest Book Review