This is an excellent historical novel told in two timeframes with chapters titled Now and Then; "Now" being Portland, Oregon and "Then" being Little Italy in NYC’s Harlem. The entire novel takes place circa 1920.

Alice “Nobody” James, daughter of a whore and by all fates destined to become one, is offered an interesting proposition. In exchange for an education of sorts, room and board, and access to Mafioso big boss, Mr. Salvatici, she will become his eyes and ears, a protégé of sorts. Because Alice is not noticeable—hence her moniker, Nobody—she floats unnoticed through the neighborhood and reports back to Salvatici. Until one day she becomes visible, dangerously visible, and ends up running for her life, which we know from the opening scenes of the book. She flees her Harlem neighborhood with it all prejudices and crime for a place farthest away she can think of: Portland, Oregon.

She lands in a hotel for “Negros only.” Faye base her fictional Paragon Hotel on an actual hotel in Portland called The Golden West. Founded in the early 1900s, it served black railroad workers, like the handsome Pullman Alice meets on the train headed west, Max. Alice finds she has fled one form of violence and discrimination to another much more virulent kind- the Klan.

Few hipsters who have moved to Portland for its liberal politics know about Oregon’s brutal and discriminatory past. Known as “the whitest city in America,” Portland and the state itself were founded on a white nationalist ideal.
Faye is a wonderful writer. I particularly enjoyed the small jokes and insinuations she makes as she is telling the story, as though she were having fun at her keyboard. She has certainly done her homework recreating the 1920 and 30s in both Portland and New York.

It’s an informative book and worth reading if for no other reason that the damning epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. These Faye ripped right out of Oregon books, journals, and newspapers and shows the level of racism and discrimination blacks suffered during that period of its history.

Don't miss this book. Lyndsay Faye writes incredibly life-like and complex characters, Their motives are never just what's on the surface, and they are always very human - never just black and white.
I loved this book particularly because of the dual story line. As the book progresses we get the flashbacks of how "Nobody" Alice James came to be at the Paragon Hotel, alongside the ongoing story of the Paragon's inhabitants. The historical setting of this book is rich and immersive, and the race issues of the time period fully incorporated.
Nobody Alice has spent her life learning to be whatever Nobody the situation demands. Most of that education falling under service to one of the most notorious mafia bosses in Harlem. Bleeding and delirious, Alice finds herself on an impromptu flight from "la malavita" in Harlem, and from those sure to pursue her if they find out she's alive. She finds herself racing cross-country in a Pullman Car juggling Nobodies between the demure and conservative Alice she portrays to her bunkmate, and the slightly more "flapper-esque" Nobody she reveals to the Porter, who can't bear to leave her stranded at the journey's end. Thus Alice comes to be the latest (and only white) resident of the Paragon Hotel.
Not for the first time, Alice sees life from the side of those facing persecution for their color and culture, but finds herself uniquely in a position to help when the Paragon's youngest resident and communal charge, Davie, goes missing.
Up against the Ku Klux Klan, the police (both good and bad), and the tight-lipped and motley residents of the Paragon, Alice has to juggle enough Nobodies to get to the bottom of Davie's disappearance. Along the way, she'll uncover more secrets than she wanted to know, and discover more about the real Alice James than she thought possible.
With characters ranging from a nightclub singer and an aspiring writer, to a war vet and a society matron, every reader will identify with Faye's cast. I recommend this story to any readers of historical fiction, and Faye's writing to anyone who needs a book that goes a little deeper, a little beyond the ordinary expectations. There are some sensitive topics in the book, but no illicit descriptions.

This book was so much more than a mystery. It was an intricate portrayal of a history that should be talked about with a fictionalized plot that hooked the reader. I loved it and the characters so much.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Paragon Hotel tells the tale of Alice "Nobody" James, a 1920s moll escaping across the US after a fatal gunshot during a mob showdown. She befriends a black porter named Max and finds herself at the titular hotel in Portland, Oregon (the only hotel establishment for colored people). During her stay she gets to know some of its residents, and endures the racial tensions from being the only white woman in residence. The disappearance of one of the orphan children leads to investigate the many secrets held at the hotel.

The narrative oscillates from the present day events in Portland to Alice's upbringing in Harlem (the narrative tense also switching from present to past); while the backstory of her life in New York and how she ended up shot and travelling cross country was an interesting read, it wasn't really necessary, as the events in the past had little to do with the events in the present. It took a while to get into the language of the era, and much of it sounded like lines recited from a script.

The historical aspect of the story was fascinating, and added to the overall narrative structure. The plot twist at the end was surprising and unexpected (though I'm not quite sure if it would have actually happened at the time.)

Overall, the book was all right - it could have been two separate stories instead of one.

Lyndsay Faye is such a good writer, it is just insane. Unfortunately, as good of a writer she is, I'm probably an equally terrible reviewer so it has been too long since I've read the book, so the wonderful turns of phrase that I marked for examples are long gone on my since-expired galley copy! Oh wait, I happened to take a picture of one: "Everyone I love is lost to me. I haven't a clue whether half of them are dead or alive and it's maddening, not knowing if their names are being called from across a crowded nightclub or etched in unrelenting stone." Sorry it had to be such a depressing one, but it's better than nothing.

So this book has EVERYTHING. Great plot, great characters, great writing and dialogue, great themes, great setting, great historical research. Somehow Faye discusses prejudice (race, ethnicity, and sexual identity), teaches some little-known history (on both the east and west coasts), and has me turning pages like crazy dying to know what will happen to the fast-talking, whip-smart Nobody and her newfound friends.

Unlike Jane Steele, I didn't feel like more content was required - I felt like it was just enough. Only 4 stars because (I think, it's been 7 weeks!) that something about the mafia aspect just turned me off a bit. Personal preference, not really a commentary on Faye's obvious skill. More standalone historical fiction, please, you genius lady, you!

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I have to conclude that she is not for me. I didn’t like the writing style, the dialogue felt unnatural. I gave up and I doubt that I will try the author again. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Sigh. This book. There was so much about this book that made me want to like it. Set during prohibition with monsters and flappers and the KKK. A central mystery about a missing boy. A fale protagonist that starts the book nursing a gunshot to the abdomen.

But I didn’t like this book. It took me nearly four months to finish it. The writing was oh so verbose and really hard to follow. The plot dragged on and and, only really picking up on the last three chapters. And it was WAY too long.

Two stars for a few plot twists that I really didn’t see coming. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved some of the hard driving topics that this book discussed. It was almost a 4/5 for me but I’m not sold on the dual timeline structure here. The timelines were so close together that they were difficult to follow at times. So, in theory this book could have been much better for my taste (I love historical fiction) than it was in the end.

#TheParagonHotel #NetGalley

The cover of The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye caught my eye and the story was just as catching.

The book begins with Alice, nicknamed Nobody, on a train to Portland with a gunshot wound. Max, a porter helps Alice and when they arrive in Portland takes her to the Paragon Hotel, the only all-black hotel in the city. As the novel unfolds we discover Alice’s past, why she fled Harlem with a gunshot wound and we learn about those Alice has befriended in the Paragon Hotel.

I enjoyed The Paragon Hotel. The storyline goes back and forth between Alice’s past and her present. I found the back story of Alice growing up in Harlem an intriguing story and I was hooked wondering what happened that made her flee. I loved the unique characters that lived in the Paragon Hotel and I found myself caught up in the struggles they each faced. I also learned a lot about the Ku Klux Klan in Portland during this time period of 1921. There was also a bit of a mystery as the characters living in the hotel search for a missing orphan child. I found Alice’s past with the Mafia and her present with the Ku Klux Klan fascinating as the author explored their differences and similarities.

The Paragon Hotel was a quick, fast moving story and the time period of 1921 was well showcased. It was a fun read while also tackling issues of the time period and I learned more of what life was like during this time for people of different races and groups.

This novel took a while for me to get into. The mystery does not begin till the middle of the novel. Other than that, I thought the novel had vivid historical detail. I recommend this for fans of Phryner Fischer mysteries.

The essence of “The Paragon Hotel [Lyndsay Faye/G.P. Putnam’s Sons/432pgs], shows a texture of different lives being lived in the essence of a period piece with a very relevant social message. Above all, within the structure, Alice “Nobody”, who grew up as the daughter of a sex worker in 1920s Harlem, shows an interesting dichotomy of structures. The texture of the gangster landscape and of innocence lost serves strictly as the set up and not the rule of thumb. Nobody knows who she is inherently at the get go and what she is good at. Her life was never meant to follow that of her mother but to disappear into the ether with a sense of knowing. It is her circumstances and her strengths that allow her to evolve within the idea of who she could be which is inherently a spy for the mob. The balance of the story teeters from her old life in Harlem and what caused her to escape under physical duress on a train to Oregon to the rightly named Paragon Hotel, where everything is perceived from altered angles. The social upheaval there gives an interesting parallel to her situation but in an all together different perception of tolerance and understanding. All the people within this structure are not necessarily good people but they are creatures of circumstance, Blossom Fontaine is one of the most interesting parallels considering her backstory. Alice ends up being the unwanted resident of an all black hotel in Portland undergoing its own sort of intrinsic social battle and persecution. The author gives a view into the racial strife suffered by the residents there despite the location being in the Pacific Northwest. The intrinsic nature of the KKK, its perceived influence and the balance of behavior because of different progressions of time especially involving the wife of the chief of police: Evy and a young colored boy: Davy who goes missing, create the the conflict and propelling nature of the story. However it is the intrinsic nature of the relationships of Alice and their psychological structure, specifically with her childhood friend Nicolo in Harlem in direct relation to her burgeoning friendship with Blossom, a cabaret performer that really make the story work in addition to her gangster guardian: The Spider, who both creates and destroys her despite his best intentions in the same breath. The different personalities in the Paragon Hotel from the cook to the elevator operator to the head of the house also paint a very vivid portrait because the puzzle pieces don’t fit together at all yet they still operate as a whole. Even Alice’s guardian angel in Portland, Max, a lieutenant from the 1st World War turned porter, who in a matter of fate saves her despite the danger to his own person (in saving a white woman who is undeniably in pain in an arena where it might have been better left alone) parallels a similar structure which propelled “Mudbound”, a Netflix film set in the same period starring Jason Mitchell and Carey Mulligan. Ultimately “The Paragon Hotel” is a novel about identity and how one changes to fit a certain idea yet the truth of the personality always creeps through to the surface,’

B-

By Tim Wassberg

A fascinating read about a woman running for her life who hides in a all black hotel and how her and the hotels guests perceptions change. A great read highly recommended

This book reminded me strongly of Frog Music by Emma Donoghue. But in all of the best ways. Alice (called Nobody) is fleeing for her life with a bullet wound. On the train from New York to Portland Oregon, she is noticed by one of the porters who takes her to the Paragon Hotel where she is offered help by his friends. It turns out that this is the only non-white hotel in Portland and that it is actually illegal for non-white people to be in the state. I didn't know about this aspect of Portland's history. This is historical fiction, but it is also an emotional story about prejudice and acceptance. But a lot of prejudice. And a lot of mobsters acting like bullies in New York in contrast to the racism that Alice encounters when she arrives in Portland. There are some side stories that round out the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I definitely recommend it.

I loved the part of the novel set in Portland, but the back story which is woven into the narrative seemed too unrealistic which was a jarring change of tone as I read.

Overall, I think it is a great read for anyone who likes the jazz era, especially if they are looking for a different take.

This was not my favorite book; in fact, I did not even finish it. It was written in the vernacular of its time (1920s), and for some reason, it was jarring, rather than something that immersed me into the story. The story was interesting, but was not unique. Overall, the book didn't grab me and make me want to finish it. However, there are plenty of people who enjoyed this book, so perhaps it just wasn't for me.

The Paragon Hotel is a fictionalized account of the one hotel in Portland that allowed customers of color through the 1930s, and the surrounding racism of the times.

(I grew up in Oregon with 4th and 8th grade focused on Oregon history but we never learned about this, however it explains a lot... Even today Portland is 72% white!)

I enjoyed the part of the novel set in Portland, but the parallel story set in Harlem seemed less realistic and maybe unnecessary, somewhat clogging the storyline. This is a good read for people who like the flapper jazz era but are looking for a spin on the usual.

I'm completely shocked, but I'm placing this one into the Did Not Finish shelf. I'm shocked, truly. I love Lyndsay Faye's writing, but I just can't get into this one. :-( I generally struggle with dialogue heavy books to begin with, and never have a satisfying reading experience with them and the heavy dialogue coupled with the overkill on the period-speak here is something I'm really struggling with unfortunately. Sorry.

THE PARAGON HOTEL by Lyndsay Faye is an exciting mystery and a fun read with serious undertones, described as "blending film noir and screwball comedy" by The Wall Street Journal. This new novel, set mostly in the Prohibition-era 1920s, revolves around Alice James (who is called Nobody for her ability to fade into the background). It alternates between her life in New York's Harlem, where she works for The Spider and his gang fighting the Clutched Hand and organized crime, and her escape to Portland, Oregon where she recovers from bullet wounds at The Paragon, the city's Black owned and run hotel.

On both coasts, readers meet Alice's friends and associates, adopted families of a sort. These include childhood playmate Nicolo Benenati, Harry Chipchase (a corrupt cop), Blossom Fontaine (an African American singer), and do-gooder Evelina Vaughan (also wife of Portland's Chief of Police), plus many more. On the West Coast, a little mulatto boy goes missing and the Klan is becoming increasingly active and brazen in their threatening actions. Alice sets out to help her friends and solve the disappearance while also reflecting on the actions which brought her to Portland. Throughout, her voice is caustic and observant:
"The truth is, I've been shoving thoughts underwater like unwanted puppies. When your world is emptied, you cling to strangers..."
"I remember fleeing New York, still adrift with the shock and clutching my carpetbag as if it were a tree limb midriver."
And describing the teacher of the weekly Self-Betterment classes at The Paragon as "top drawer in a very tall bureau."

As the author notes explain, Faye's historical fiction is based on fact and she uses excerpts from local papers and period speeches to encourage readers to think about Oregon's racist history, including the Klan's slogan advocating America First. For more on the Klan in this time period, especially in the northern states, see Linda Gordon's TheSecond Coming of the KKK. Definitely worth a read, THE PARAGON HOTEL received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A 1920s story filled with mystery, social issues, race relations, and wonderfully unique characters.

THE PARAGON HOTEL marks the latest in a long line of books by Lyndsay Faye for which I have devoured and adored. I love the way the author weaves together the history of the time period she is writing in with the fictional world she creates. Always peppered with a bit of romance and developing friendships, Faye continues to deliver smart, timely, and dynamic mysteries.

What I enjoyed so much about this book is the dimension of the story. It was not only about a woman on the run. It deals with race, gender issues, and in its most basic form, hate. The author developed her story in a way which sheds a light on so much of what went on in the 1920s, but also managed to keep it fresh and relevant to the current day reader. It has always been my belief that by looking at the past, we can sometimes shed a light on the mistakes we are making today. I believe Faye did just that with this novel as I was transported to Portland with “Nobody” Alice James.

No matter how many times I go back to the author’s books, I can honestly say it is time well spent. She gives me the strong female characters I crave along with witty, clever, and multi-layered historical fiction. Not to mention a mystery…or two.

MY THOUGHTS:
I'm not going to say too much about this book. It wasn't really my cup of tea. It didn't really feel like historical fiction to me somehow - it was like a modern re-writing of history almost? I don't know. It just didn't click with me. And I couldn't connect with the characters.

A lot of people liked it. I'm still going to give Jane Steele a try as I've heard great things about that one - so feel free to disregard this review and give this one a try as well!

MY RATING:
Entertainment Value: 3
Characters: 3
Voice: 2
Plot: 3
Overall: Rounded to 3

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.