The Paragon Hotel has a truly interesting historical setting as well as a well-paced plot and well-written characters. When you read a lot of fiction, it's hard to be truly delighted and surprised by a book, but this book did it for me.

Dually set in 1910's-20's Harlem and Portland, Oregon, The Paragon Hotel follows the stories of Mafia types on the East Coast as well as African-Americans on the West. A lot of people don't know this, but Oregon had a law on the books after the Civil War that disallowed ANY African-Americans from living there. So life was pretty edgy for those black people who did live or pass through there, and the Paragon Hotel serves as a haven for those folks. When Alice James, a white gun moll who has been working in an Italian organized crime syndicate in Harlem, lands on their doorstep, they are none too happy, but since she's nursing a bullet wound and they have a doctor, they take her in.

What follows is a rollicking tale of Alice's present and her past, interwoven masterfully while slowly revealing secrets in both stories. The dialogue is stylized, snappy and noir-ish, but the characters are full of heart. You get a full feeling of both settings, to the point where I imagined them so richly that I wanted to see them on film. A really enjoyable read!

Note: I was provided a courtesy galley from the publisher for review. I was not compensated for my review.

I received this book through Netgalley.

With Paragon Hotel, Lyndsay Faye reaffirms that she’s one of the best authors out there of historical fiction. Not only does she illuminate historical eras with stunning realistic detail (see her Timothy Wilde trilogy set in 1840s New York), but she creates utterly human characters you can’t help but love and hate. The way she utilizes period patter with such flow leaves me in awe as an author.

In Paragon Hotel, we meet Nobody as she’s dying of a gunshot wound on a westbound train. She was trained to be an anti-Mafia spy, to become wallpaper in any room; she’s not even sure who she is anymore. The kind black porter, a veteran of the War, realizes her perilous condition and takes her to a dangerous place in order to save her life: the Paragon Hotel, an all-black establishment in Oregon, a state where black people are not allowed.

The historical facts behind the fiction are stunning. Oregon was established as a white utopia. In the 1920s, it was a hotbed of KKK activity. A black men were lynched for even looking at a white woman, and here is Nobody, requiring the aid of a black doctor and other hotel staff in order to stay alive. Each character is vivid and complex, with many secrets—which Nobody soon begins to uncover.

This is a book that is, in turns, beautiful and horrible… and all the more horrible because of the reality it is based upon. As in her other series, Faye does an incredible job of representing diverse perspectives on matters of race, sexuality, and mental illness.

This is one of the best books I have read in recent years, and I read a lot of books.

The Paragon Hotel alternates between Italian Harlem, NYC and Portland, Oregon in 1921, when Oregon was fiercely represented by the KKK whose goal was to wipe its state clean of the blacks under the guise of upholding Christian values and putting America first.

I'm not one for novels with many characters as it makes it hard to keep track. So I thought The Paragon Hotel was going to be one of my DNF - not only did it have numerous characters, its writing style (frequent use of similes and idioms) was one I'm not used to even after a couple of hundred of pages in. But as I got deeper into the story, I fell in love with its characters and their stories.

And my, does Miss Faye know how to tell a story! Although it was a difficult beginning for me, reasons as stated above, I decided to stay on because I was intrigued by the female protagonist, Alice, or better known as 'Nobody', and I had this inkling that she had a lot to offer; and I was glad she proved me right.

After deciding to take on the offer of one of the big mafias in Harlem in exchange for protection, her life changed dramatically and so did her friendship with her best friend Nicolo. She got roped in and trained to be the eyes and ears of a Mafia boss known as the Spider, while Nicolo got his hands dirty when avenging for his dad who was murdered. Their differences set them off to different paths including one that led Nobody to the west, Oregon, Portland.

There, Nobody settled in Paragon Hotel, whose inhabitants were all blacks, except her. As her story in Oregon progressed, I was drawn to the lives and stories of its people in the hotel. I was enamored by Blossom, Alice's new-found friend and confidante, whose tongue-in-cheek remarks definitely tickled my fancy; and Max, the tall, dark handsome Pullman porter who captured Alice's heart with his looks and chivalry; also the kind and charitable Evelina, whose baked goods could charm the socks off of anyone.

All hell broke lose when one day, the much-loved child, Davy Lee, went missing. What happened to him? Was this the job of the KKK? Was someone being threatened? As Nobody tried to unravel its mystery, she realized there was more than meets the eye.

Running alongside Nobody's misadventures in Oregon, was her background story in Harlem, NYC. I was intrigued as to why she left Harlem in such distraught. What happened to her? Why did Nicolo, her childhood friend who loved her dearly, shoot her? And why did she leave Spider, her guardian and protector?

After ruminating on this novel for a couple of days, it got me to thinking, what an irony it was for Nobody when she was treated better at the Paragon Hotel than her own home in Harlem where she had to rely on her wit and her intelligence to survive the Mafia, while in a place foreign to her, she was treated kindly, although not without hostility and reservations, her being white, by some Debbie Downers. And it was also in Oregon, where racism was at its worst, that she found love and friendship, and ironically, trust.

This novel is seeped in secrets, shrouded in mystery, with twists and turns in corners you least expect. Stay for that, and sit in for the jazzy tunes in the time of Billie Holiday, played and sung in sultry smoke-filled speakeasies. Trust me, you'll be in for a treat!

I love reading the 'Historical Notes' right at the end too.

So now the following questions I have are, will Nobody ever return to Harlem? And will she ever reunite with Nicolo? What about the rivalry between The Spider and The Clutch Hand? And what about Blossom? Will she get what she wants?

Please give us a sequel, Miss Faye! I don't normally read sequels, but here I am asking for one.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam Books for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book details the misadventures of Nobody (aka Alice James), switching between her growing up in Harlem, to her traveling to Portland and ending up at the Paragon Hotel. It's the strange characters that she encounters in her life that make it an interesting read.

Everything by Lyndsay Faye is an instant hit! This such a great read. I loved the character development and the way the story twists and turns. You really feel for the characters and this pulls you to keep turning the pages until the very last one, wishing there were more.

This book transports you to the 1920s, and not just to fancy free flappers, but a look at racial injustice and violence. The characters are well drawn and the setting comes to life. For fans of meaty historical fiction.

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye. I more than really liked this one. The writing is wonderful and the characters are even better. From description:

The year is 1921, and "Nobody" Alice James is on a cross-country train, carrying a bullet wound and fleeing for her life following an illicit drug and liquor deal gone horribly wrong. Desperate to get as far away as possible from New York City and those who want her dead, she has her sights set on Oregon: a distant frontier that seems the end of the line.

Full of well-drawn characters, I found The Paragon Hotel absolutely riveting. So many books and characters are entertaining but quickly forgettable, Faye's plot, characters, and prose will remain with you. One of my favorite books of the year. I read it in August, and I loved the book and Alice, Max, all of the Paragon Hotel employees, and most especially, Blossom Fontaine!

NetGalley/Penguin Group
Historical Mystery. Jan. 8, 2019. Print length: 432 pages.

Highly recommended!

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I labored through 45 percent of it but could not honestly bring myself to continue reading. I am not sure why - it had all the right elements. The characters were developed well, the writing was wonderful, the story was good. And yet. And yet I struggled with it. I am unsure what led me to this development but ultimately, I gave up. I am giving it three stars because it was somewhat well-thought out, but the story took too long to develop and was not engaging enough for me, unfortunately.

Lyndsay Faye has always been one of my favorite authors because her novels are top notch. We don't always appreciate the time we live in until we look into the past in a book or film. I love the feeling of time travel in this one. Friendship, love, and a action packed search and rescue will have you reading all nite. This story will stay in your mind's eye long after you finish reading.

Lyndsay Faye is a master of historical fiction and The Paragon Hotel was yet another success! While the plot falls into a common setup, jumping between times/places to adjust the pace of the story, it's the language that really sets the book apart. In this case, we're seeing two parts on one young woman's life: the situation in which she currently finds herself in 1921 Portland, Oregon, and her life in New York and the events leading to her forced relocation. Each time period has a particular linguistic flavor, such that you could tell the point in the story apart even without the chapter headers.
Add to that how vibrantly real are all of her characters and you already have a great book, but as always with Faye's books, her attention to historical detail is stellar, which pushes it over the edge to outstanding. In this, she brings to life menacing elements of history that we've forgotten about: the earliest days of the Italian mob in New York's Harlem and the spread of the KKK into west. Poignant and captivating.

This was quite an adventure! I had some difficulty getting into what was going on and sorting through the various characters but at some point, things just clicked and started making sense. Time frame is 1921. This is historical fiction with quite a few twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. There are two story lines told by the same character Nobody involving both the NY Mafia and Portland OR KKK. The hipster city on the west coast has an undeniably fascist history which I admit to being unaware of. The historical aspect was thoroughly researched and unflinchingly honest. The characters are quirky and likeable........all searching for safety, survival and hopefully love. There is racism, murder, intolerance, friendships, hate and love. It was at times madcap but I really loved it all.

I'd like to thank Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC. I will not be a stranger to this author!

If you dream of being a flapper, drinking bootleg gin while listening to Billie Holiday in a smoke-filled Harlem nightclub - this is the book for you. I have been a devoted fan of Lyndsay Faye since JANE STEELE but now I am at the stalker level. Whatever the historical period she is writing about, she creates such remarkable characters who speak intelligent snark and exudes charm and the language and setting are spot-on. You believe that you are in 1920's racially divided dangerous Portland where a single white woman on death's doorstep running from the New York mafia finds herself a new family of sorts and learns about the many faces of evil and love. Oh, dear reader, you will positively fall for Nobody James and the unusual gang at the Paragon Hotel. Plus, as an added bonus, I can now swear in Italian. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy of this charmer.

I didn't need to know the title or plot of this book before requesting it, because Lyndsay Faye cemented her place in my "Must Read" list with Gods of Gotham. Her talent is taking the reader and instantly placing them in a new place/time with no real adjustment required. She writes it like she just came back from a visit there and is very good at telling people everything she saw.

I said the plot was secondary to my reasons for wanting to read this as soon as possible, but it became third in importance once I met Nobody. What an amazing character. I didn't care what she was doing as long as I was reading about her, whether in Portland or her past in Harlem. I loved the description of how she became whoever she needed to be depending on the situation, a con artist whose only goal is to stay safe.

Lyndsay Faye has staked her claim on the late 19th/early 20th century fiction, and I can't wait to see where (and when) she takes us next.

This book is about love and all the different versions of it.

Alice is a very interesting character with a very interesting backstory. The book goes between her backstory and when she's in Portland. This is the first time where I've read a book that splits the story and don't feel interrupted. The setting for both Portland and New York (really, Harlem) is very vivid.

I loved this book. I loved the flashbacks, I loved Nobody, Blossom, and Evie. All the characters had distinctive personalities. I loved how the story unfolded, and I didnt see it coming. I couldn't stop thinking about the book and couldn't put it down. 10/10 would recommend and read again.

This book started strong, lagged in the middle for me, and ended on a high. There’s lots going on with two storylines from the same character; one in NYC dealing with the mafia and one in Portland dealing with racism. Some twisty turns at the end; some I saw coming and some I did not.
Little things irked me about this book like excessive quelques and constant descriptions likening to other things but...still an interesting read.

Beautiful cover, intriguing characters and a story line with grit and gusto. My first Lyndsay Faye novel and I am hooked!

I’m judicious with 5 star ratings, but this was a no brainer. Lyndsay Faye has written a meticulously researched, intriguing, heart-wrenching novel that doesn’t shy away from our country’s difficult past. Narrated by “Nobody,” a grifter who can tailor her person to the situation/society group, we’re brought along on her (bullet-induced) flight from the Mafia-ridden streets of Harlem out to the unfettered frontier land of Portland, Oregon. When a young boy goes missing from her refuge at the all-black Paragon Hotel, Nobody is thrust into a battle between the races, a fight for what she believes in, and a struggle to escape the horrors of her past.
I straight up devoured this novel. Faye’s character development in this novel is effortless, and Blossom and Nobody are women that I lived with while reading this book. The incorporation of horrifying real-life quotations from documents, newspapers and people of the time consistently remind readers that everything on these fictional pages are grounded in a very real past of our country.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Can not wait to give copies to this historical fiction fans in my life.
I received this book from NetGalley - courtesy of Penguin Random House - in exchange for an honest review. taylorhavenholt.com/thhbooks.html

Oregon has a history of discrimination against people of color. Three infamous “exclusion laws” banned blacks, passed in 1848, 1850, and 1857, as Oregon sought to become a state; it even wrote the exclusion of blacks into its constitution.

As the Washington Post reports:

"Oregon is the only state in the United States that actually began as literally whites-only,” said Winston Grady-Willis, director of Portland State University’s School of Gender, Race and Nations. 'Even though there was subsequent legislation that challenged those statutes, the statutes were not removed from the books until 1922.’”

In the 1920s, Oregon had the largest KKK organization [per capita] west of the Mississippi River.

This history forms the backdrop for Lyndsay Faye’s latest historical fiction/crime novel, which is set in Portland, Oregon in 1921. As with her previous historical fiction books, each chapter is preceded by actual excerpts of writings from that period which are germane to the action, adding a great deal of insight into what the atmosphere was like at the time.

Alice James, 25, a “ward” of an Italian mob boss in Harlem, has reason to flee for her life, and gets on a train going west. By the time she gets to Portland, Oregon, she is in mortal danger from a festering gunshot wound. The black porter, Max Burton, takes her to the Paragon Hotel in the city for treatment. The Paragon Hotel [patterned after Portland’s historic Golden West Hotel] is the only hotel in Portland where people of color are allowed, and because Max has to touch Alice to help her - indeed, he has to carry her - he can’t very well show up with her at a white place lest he be lynched. The denizens of the hotel put her in a room and get their doctor to stitch her up.

Before long, Alice feels she has new friends and a new “family” of sorts. But the wonderful cast of characters who live and work at the hotel are harboring a slew of secrets, which come oozing out of the woodwork after a little boy who lives at the hotel goes missing. Blacks can’t safely comb the surrounding woods without risking being part of a Ku Klux Klan bonfire, and most of the police won’t protect them. On the contrary, they need protection from the police.

As the chapters go back and forth in time, we also learn about Alice’s past in mob-ruled Harlem. Her life was dangerous in both places, but she has attributes that help her survive in both.

The story ends with a wonderful “It’s just Chinatown” coda as Alice finally leaves the Paragon Hotel:

“…the Paragon Hotel spits me out, I turn to look back at it. Its dozens of windows with its hundreds of guests, all of them hiding something. All of them fighting for something. All of them frightened of something. That’s the kicker about hotels - they aren’t homes, they’re more like the paragon of waiting rooms. … you burrow underneath one another’s surfaces, air the cupboards, life the drapes, and everyone is unhappy, and everyone is searching, and everyone is both cruel and kind.”

Discussion: There are wonderful aspects to this story, not the least of which are bits of historical information provided by the author. Her language, too, is lovely, as she veers from the slang of the time to more dazzling and timeless prose, such as these descriptions of the vistas in Portland, so different from what she grew up with in Harlem:

“The skies are enormous, flung open and sprawling. A bucket of spilled cerulean.”

“I took a streetcar in the salmon sunrise…”

Even the horrific is at times couched in eloquence, as she muses about how the blacks in Portland might think about death, and is reminiscent of the song “Strange Fruit,” sung so movingly by Billie Holiday:

“Wondering when their own time comes, whether they’ll drift up to heaven from their warm beds or from the cool rustling of strange tree branches.”

When she sees a sliver of the moon it makes her think about the secrets she carries, and the secrets carried by everyone she has met,

“The moon has risen, slender and delicate. Seeming awfully small. But that’s the trick about the moon… that doesn’t mean the rest of the moon isn’t there. Only that it’s waiting for the right time to be visible. Showing sharp white sickles of itself until suddenly it’s flooding wheat fields and coastlines, shocking everyone over how much was hidden all that while.”

The theme of a paragon, or exemplar, enters in the story in several ways, most notably in Alice’s “salute” at the end of the book:

“So here’s to the saps and the sinners. To survival of the fittest and the terribly unfit. To the paragon of animals in all our many forms. . . . .”

Rating: This is another terrific book by this author. (I can’t think of one that hasn’t been excellent.) Highly recommended!

A beautifully written story of people just trying to lead their lives under very difficult and trying circumstances. In 1921 Alice "Nobody" is fleeing Harlem with a bullet wound in her side a bag of counterfeit bills when African American porter Max helps her find refuge in the Paragon Hotel for traveling African Americans in Portland. Part mystery and part historical fiction this is a real page turner that lingers in your mind long after the book is finished.