Thoroughly researched historical fiction in realistic settings with believable premises is right up my alley and this book fulfills and expands on that. Do it again MS. Egan and I'll follow...

A slow, lagging, literary read. I had to take breaks to read other books during this time to get to the end. The first 60% or so was fascinating and I loved our leading lady; but the latter half was mostly about her father on merchant ships during the war (snore). It quickly lost my interest and it became a slog to get to the end. Not near as good as A Visit from the Goon Squad. Infinitely too long and boring at times, and lacking real excitement throughout.
I have been putting off writing a full review for Manhattan Beach as I feel so meh about it. The longer I want the harder it gets to even remember what the book was about; never mind what I liked and disliked about it. So I'm going to say this: go read Jennifer Egan's other book. Pass this one by and save yourself some bored page flipping and grief.
I'm down grading my star rating to 2 stars as there clearly wasn't too much to take away from Manhattan Beach in the end.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

As someone who was not a fanboy of Goon Squad I entered Manhattan Beach with modest expectations. Thankfully I was blown away. Egan's prose was crisp, tightly packaged chapters, engrossing plot. Although conventional in its story telling compared to her past work, Egan is still a first rate novelist, showing off her ability to master the historical fiction genre and engross the reader in a story less hip and modern than that displayed in Goon Squad.

Anna Kerrigan is a very observant twelve-year-old girl. Her father takes her to the home of a "business" associate where she sees firsthand how the wealthy are living during the Depression. After her father disappears a few years later and WWII breaks out Anna does her part to contribute to the War Effort. She realizes that her job at the Brooklyn Ship Yard is not what she really wants and becomes the first female diver to repair ships for the US Navy. She overcomes some significant challenges to get her beloved position and when Dexter Styles, the man her father had met years before, walks into her life things become even more complicated.. Everything she does, she does to help support her mother and to care for her disabled sister Lydia. Dexter becomes enamoured by the resilient Anna, but with a job full of risks and a war going on who knows what will happen.

I found this book to be a bit on the lightside but was a welcome reprieve from my usual genres. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC for a fair and honest review.

Amazing story. Loved it. Set during WWll Anna Kerrigan works in New York in the naval yard as part of the war effort. Anna becomes intrigued by the divers that work at the naval yard repairing ships. She is determined to become the first female diver despite the many obstacles in her path.
Another major character is Dexter Styles a gangster Anna met as a young girl during a “business” meeting Anna’s father had with Dexter. During the war Anna and Dexter meet again.
While WWll novels are plentiful Manhattan Beach offers an unique storyline with Anna wanting to become a diver. The role of the gangster during the war was another theme I have not seen included in many novels.
Not a surprise Manhattan Beach was long listed for the National Book Award. It would be a great read for book clubs.

This book was one of the most slow-paced books I’ve recently read. There were many times I just scanned pages without really reading them just to get something more gripping.

To me this book was like attaching separate stories without any connection together by putting same names in different parts of the book. If you ask me what was the main theme of the book I can’t put my fingers on. Yes for sure Anna was the main character but still so many dead ends in plot and cohesion of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book.

Would give more a 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this story based in this era. It really touched on a lot of what was going on without being war book. The story was told in an interesting manner which I enjoyed. There could have been a bit more clarity between some jumps or some extra bits near the end which seemed to hinder the flow, but didn't detract from how good the story was. The characters were captivating and the settings were quite detailed.

Anna, the daughter of Eddie Kerrigan, seeks help from Dexter Styles (apparently a mob boss of some kind), is intent on pursuing a diving career in the naval yard (a man's world amongst many at that time). In her younger years, she was acquainted with Dexter Styles when her father would meet with him but she is then re-acquainted with him later in her life. Eddie Kerrigan seemingly walks away from his family and in the early stages, I wasn't clear whether he disappeared of his own accord or if some tragedy has befallen him. Unfortunately, much of the story is falling flat for me. There are one or two instances in the book that caught my emotions but apart from that, I'm not sure what it's all about. The story sort of kept my interest but the ending left me feeling, "that's it? What was the point?"

Jennifer Egan, known for her unique form, has a new book out and while it is a departure from the stories that we have loved, I’ll bet you that Manhattan Beach is going to be a new favourite. (At least, it is for me). I received the ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Part mystery, part historical epic, Manhattan Beach has something for just about everyone.

Three Stories

While some reviewers may claim that the book feels disjointed, I liked the variety between the storylines and felt that they intersected in interesting and unexpected ways. Perhaps those readers who first fell in love with A Visit From the Goon Squad weren’t expecting a narrative that follows a different and more linear path.

Egan takes us from the Great Depression into World War Two, splitting the narrative voices between Anna, who struggles to find a place among the men at the naval stockyard, Anna’s father and Dexter Styles (a night club owner). Was it a shock to be suddenly dropped into he 1940’s with an adult Anna? Sure. But I felt that the resulting mystery of Eddie’s disappearance made up for this jolt in the narrative time-frame. It was fascinating to see such a well-researched historical novel unfold from three different points of view, because it added a well-rounded perspective to the story.

A Feisty Heroine

Who doesn’t love an awesome, strong heroine to cheer on? Perhaps my favourite part of Manhattan Beach was following Anna as she becomes the first woman diver in New York Harbour. At a recent interview at the Toronto Public Library Appel Salon, Jennifer Egan mentioned that she interviewed the real-life inspiration for Anna’s character and that a lot of her research was about going beneath the surface of the time that she was writing in, to bring more emotional depth to her characters. With Anna’s character in particular, I felt that this was true.

If you love books that celebrate feisty women and take you on a wild ride through the seedy gang world of New York in the 1930’s-1940’s, pick up a copy of Manhattan Beach.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Egan's latest offering takes place in America during the Depression. Twelve-year-old Anna Kerrigan accompanies her father to visit Dexter Styles, a man who she perceives to be important. Anna can't help but notice the lavish house equipped with servants, toys for the children, and the pact between Styles and her father.

Years later the country is at war, Anna's father has disappeared, and she has to support her mother and disabled sister with work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Because of the war, women are allowed to work and perform jobs that were traditionally jobs for men. She becomes the first female diver—an incredibly dangerous occupation—repairing naval ships. Anna meets Dexter Styles at a nightclub and realizes that he is the man she visited with her father before his disappearance. Styles has ties to the mob and Anna begins to understand the complexity of her father's life.

The first section is smart, sharp, and brilliantly executed. Egan's writing is solid, exactly what you would expect. Then the novel makes one of many jumps in time and the story becomes scattered. There is a complete lack of harmony and the reader is left with a rambling narrative that is a mash-up of three stories. Hinging on boring at times, I didn't connect with the characters, or the plot, and this is disappointing because Egan has obviously done her homework.

My rating – 3.25/5

While I’ve never read a book by Jennifer Egan, I had high expectations for her new book Manhattan Beach because she is a Pulitzer Prize winning author. I found that I was neither disappointed nor was I overly impressed with her latest work.

Manhattan Beach is a literary historical fiction novel told through three perspectives starting in Depression era Manhattan and then fast-forwarding to post-Pearl Harbour attacks.

The perspectives are told through Eddie Kerrigan, a mobster’s henchman kinda sorta; Anna Kerrigan, Eddie’s daughter who used to accompany him on some jobs; and Dexter Styles, a second tier mob boss who married into a respectable banking family and is trying hard to manage both worlds.

Unlike other reviews I’ve read where people thought that the execution of the perspectives was messy and/or badly told, I actually enjoyed each of the three story lines. I thought that there were parts in each story line that were stronger than others but that they ultimately made sense by the end. I think a lot of the confusion comes in because the story jumps back and forth in time between three perspectives so it’s not always easy to keep up. Personally, I didn’t have any issues with that. I also thought that Egan’s writing was elegant and sophisticated enough to pull of her feat.

The reason that I wouldn’t rank this novel higher than I did is because while the story was enjoyable, it wasn’t remarkable. Considering that the main chunk of the story takes place during WWII in a New York run by mobsters, the characters and stories felt like sanitized versions of the era.

The mobsters in the story weren’t believable because they were often characterized as well-meaning or principled while committing crimes (the more violent crimes take place ‘off screen’ and we’re told about them later). The problem with that is that Egan didn’t make an effort to point out the hypocrisy or explore the grey area in any depth.

I would also like to note that I listened to the book in audio format which was narrated by three individuals. Each of the performances were good, however, there were some awkward moments when the performances were blended together. The effect was bizarre and jarring. For example, there were some scenes when Anna and Dexter were talking and Anna’s parts were narrated by the female and Dexter’s parts were narrated by the male. It was clear that they were recorded in different studios and then the parts were cut together. It was also odd that they did this when each of the perspectives are told through 3rd person POV so there was no reason for the switch of narrators mid-scene as they did for conversation and internal thoughts.

To conclude, I would tentatively recommend this book. I think there is a lot in there to enjoy but also some significant flaws that may effect your reading experience.

I received an uncorrected copy of Manhattan Beach from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  However, I ended up listening to a finished copy via Audible and that is the version that is reviewed here.

Unfortunately this is a pretty forgettable book in the historical fiction (WW2) genre. There are two many story streams, none of which resonated with me. The subplots meandered often stopping and starting in random places without a cohesive bridge for them all to connect. Probably worse than the ill-conceived plot, I simply found that I had no emotional connection to any of the characters. I'll give the author credit for some great research on the setting (New York Harbour 1940's and the mob mentality at the wharf) but even that interesting feature didn't save this book for me.

Jennifer Egan's new book is so, so different from A Visit from the Goon Squad. For some, this might be a welcome change and others might be disappointed. I fall somewhere between these two poles-I loved Goon Squad, but I can appreciate the new direction.

Manhattan Beach has a lot to like, though. It weaves together a number of different Depression/war-era worlds including the lives of the merchant marines, the shadow world of the mob, and the experience of a young woman, Anna, at the naval yard as a diver. It is clearly well-researched and Jennifer Egan's writing is really good, as expected. I did find some parts to be a bit slow (the merchant marines bit didn't capture my attention, at first), but it came together for me at the end and I was happy that I stuck around.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Jennifer Egan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This novel is historical fiction and appears to be well researched. It involves 3 different stories, Anna’s story, her father’s story and his difficulties with the mob and Dexter Styles,who has ties to the mob. I found the writing to be decent, though the story was very slow and didn’t keep attention. I was disappointed with the story, and it seemed to take forever for me to get through.
This was the first novel I read by Jennifer Egan, and I’m not sure I’d be in a hurry to read another one of her novels.

I just can't get into this read. I was hoping for an interesting look at a female naval war diver in WWII era. So much time spent flashing back to union corruption and organized crime and not enough about Anna to hold my interest.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

Set in WWII, a well researched historical novel tells the story of Annie, She overcomes the loss of her sister, father and mother. Not all dead, but out of her life. As a young child she often accompanies her father on jobs that were illegal and connected to the mafia. One man in particular she remembers later, whom she believes is responsible for her fathers disappearances. He becomes an all important character in the shaping of the story. Annie takes on a 'mans' job in the war effort and the author provides great insight as to how difficult it was to prove she was capable. Her determination to succeed is shown throughout the book in all her endeavours. Highly recommend you read it.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley.
It is a story that brings together the underworld of New Uork's crime syndicates and the World War II efforts of ship building and merchant marines.
The main character is Annie, the daughter of Eddie Kerrigan, a small time player in the syndicates who mysteriously disappears, leaving his family not quite destitute but certainly struggling in hard financial times.
Annie eventually becomes a civilian diver after working in the naval yards for some time but somehow her father's desertion of the family remains with her.
I found the story to be well written and compelling. However, for me at least, the ending came up a bit short. Overall, though, it was a good read.

Expectations. They'll get you every time.

I haven't read the award winning and controversial book by this author, A Visit from the Goon Squad. But I understood, from many reviews, some found it dull, some found it pointless, others found it ultra modern and stylistic, but none really questioned the actual writing (thank the good lord, since it won the Pulitzer).

So, I was thrilled to receive the ARC of this book, eager to dive into the writing of a new-to-me author who had risen to the top of the top in 2011, excited to be one of the first to see what she had come up with this year.

And I found myself reading a ... very typical historical fiction story. Better than a Sara Gruen book (though MUCH longer, so I could forgive Sara Gruen more easily), but along those lines. I won't give you a plot synopsis- the publisher tells you everything you need to know in the description. It is 100% plot driven. I was constantly aware of the story, the fact that the author was bringing me back in time, like everyone was dressed up for a historical re-enactment, or, even Halloween (and felt just as natural). And, I was mainly bored. Did I mention the book was inexplicably long?? That I was untouched by the father/daughter/gangster story? That I was repelled when it turned into a quasi-romance? Oh, and that I was bored?

Perhaps it's just a case of mis-placed expectations. Had I been expecting a "story" in depression-era costumes then perhaps I might be saying, yep, this hit the nail on the head! But I was expecting more from this Pulitzer award winning author.

From Pulitzer prize winner Jennifer Egan comes her latest novel set in WWII America.

3/5 stars.
ebook, 448 pages.
September 8, 2017 to September 17, 2017.

As a first-time reader of Jennifer Egan, I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a perfect opportunity to finally read her. Covering a wide range of content, Egan delivers a remarkable story with a sophisticated writing style.

Following the end of the Great Depression in Brooklyn, Anna is twelve years old when her father Eddie, takes her on a business venture to the wealthy home of Dexter Styles. After making a strong impression with her tomboy antics, Styles agrees to hire her father. It was then that Eddie decided to stop taking his Anna on business ventures. At home, Anna’s mother is in constant care of her younger sister, Lydia, an invalid who is bed and chair bound. Eddie’s decision to work for Styles was driven by his need to provide for his disabled child but also motivated as a way to put distance between them. Eddie loves Lydia but also sees her as his own failing. Anna is independent and strong after years of helping her mother and sister and she does not take the news well when her father informs her that she can longer come to work with him. A few years later, when Anna is only fourteen, Eddie disappears and never returns.

Jump forward to the beginning of WWII and Anna is working in the Navy docks, along with many other women to help manage the war efforts. She is headstrong and one of the few women who are unmarried. She dreams of being a diver, a position not yet open to women, and is determined to find a way to get there. One evening when her friend takes her out to one of the clubs in town that many of the soliders visits, Anna spots Dexter Styles across the bar and discovers that he is the owner. Driven by a need to know more about the disappearance of her father all those years ago, she introduces herself under a fake name. The introduction unfolds a dark story that brings up dirty secrets, desires, deceit and danger.

The history, both the setting, the working women during the war, and with Anna, her family and her diving, are what drew me into this book. Sadly, I had to draw back as the story became unfocused and convoluted with other the intertwining stories and histories. It was not that these parts of the story were not interesting or engaging is that I felt shuffled around far too often while reading this book and the ending felt messy and disjointed. For a book that had such a strong start, the ending left me with a sigh of discontent.

It is clear that this book was meticulously well researched and that a lot of effort was placed into the historical content and overall, the writing style is sophisticated and engaging but it missed the mark on the rhythm of the story.

This book has not put me off Jennifer Egan in the slightest, it actually has driven me to take a look and consider reading her highly acclaimed and award-winning novel, A Visit From The Goon Squad. It is apparent that Egan has talent and that a novel following such a highly prized book prior is always hard to achieve.

If you have read A Visit From The Good Squad and are hoping for something of the same calibre, this book may not be what you are hoping for. However, the rich historical content is definitely worth picking this book up for. The book is due to be published on October 3, 2017.

When done right, few things can match the rewards of reading a big novel. Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach is a very generous novel that takes its readers into a rich fictional world in 1930s and 40s New York, as families part with sons heading off to war, the young women left behind seek a certain measure of independence, and crime bosses try to find their way in post-prohibition urban America.

Manhattan Beach centres around three main characters in New York in the 1930s and 40s: Anna Kerrigan, a young woman who dreams of deep-sea diving at the Brooklyn Naval Yard; Eddie Kerrigan, Anna’s loving father whose work is an escape from a home life almost entirely consumed with looking after the needs of Anna’s severely disabled younger sister; and Eddie’s employer, Dexter Styles, a gangster who has gone three-quarters (seven-eighths, one character corrects herself) legitimate but who maintains a powerful stature among New York’s criminal networks. The book is intricately, perfectly plotted, but is also a moving look at the intertwined lives of these three characters. The characters’ motivations and emotions provide as much suspense as the action the book contains, which is considerable: think Mickey Finns, heavily armed thugs, shipwrecks, and a deep-sea dive for a dead body, for starters.

The story opens in 1934, as Eddie and his eleven year-old daughter Anna are headed out to the Manhattan Beach home of Dexter Styles, a potential new employer. Eddie gives Anna careful instructions about the way she is to comport herself during the visit. Their conversation betrays a close father-daughter bond; this isn’t the first time she’s gone with her father to meet with his associates and their families. While the two men talk, Anna is left with Styles’ eight year-old daughter Tabatha. They walk and play together on the beach for most of the day. The fathers return, and it’s fairly clear that some kind of an arrangement has been struck. The children say goodbye, but they won’t see each other again. Soon after this time, Eddie suddenly stops taking Anna along on his work trips. Three years later, Eddie disappears, leaving neither an explanation or trace for his family.

As Anna reaches adulthood, she takes a wartime job at the Naval Yard, measuring parts for a ship under construction. Her irrepressible personality quickly bursts the boundaries of the job. Not contented to spend her days as a junior co-worker in a room full of war wives, Anna dreams of joining the team of civilian deep-sea divers who also work in the complex, doing underwater repairs on damaged ships. She’s a dreamer, persistent and dedicated, and has to work hard to overcome the biases against female divers. In the way we watch her grow from childhood to maturity as well as how we see a lively historical tableau through her eyes, Anna strikes me as something of a female counterpart to Sam Clay and Joe Kavalier in Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, another novel set in New York in the time of World War Two.

At its heart, Manhattan Beach is a story of fathers and daughters. In the course of the novel, we learn more about Anna’s family and observe the impact her father’s absence has on her life. Anna fights to answer or ignore the nagging questions about her father: Did he abandon them? Is he dead? Along the way, she runs into Dexter Styles, vaguely recalling their connection, but unclear about the extent of her father’s contact with him. Does he have any of the clues to her father’s disappearance? Meanwhile, the relationship between Styles and Tabatha provides a kind of foil for the Kerrigan family. The questions the novel explores are those common to all family life: how much protection is too much? How does a child make a parent proud? When a parent fails a child, is there any way back?

Jennifer Egan’s previous book, A Visit From the Goon Squad, won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was especially noted for the way it pushed the boundaries of traditional fiction (most famously, one 75-page chapter was written in the form of a PowerPoint presentation). Here, by contrast, Egan shows she has also mastered the whole array of skills needed to make a traditional realistic novel succeed. Manhattan Beach is a beautifully paced and plotted novel full of memorable characters, and a constant pleasure to read.