New York City 1907. A lot of change is coming but for women it is very slow going. Attitudes are archaic and women wanting a greater share of the action, wanting challenging work will find it hard getting recognition and more importantly the permission to do what they want. In this context Archana considers herself fortunate. A liberal father who allowed her to travel alone from India, a husband who accepts a working wife, and in a profession like journalism and however hard her colleagues are on her, she is grateful for the opportunities to report on current matters.

Chinatown has always been a sore point for what it represents. Most people associated it with opium dens, gang warfare and unhealthy tenements. A move by the Mayor to demolish Chinatown is the subject of much debate and Archana is designated to find the human angle. A plot to take away the daughter of one of its leaders was not on the cards . Uncovering this story which led to the inner workings of City Hall, the manipulation that goes behind the seemingly good schemes being promoted for the city are what captures Archana’s interest.

Combining fact - many of the characters are real life ones, and the history of the city and how it ticks forms the setting of the story with Mock Duck, the Thaw murder case and Stanford White being focal human figures. How Archana or Archie as she was known moved in the world of journalism whilst being a woman and a foreign one at that was memorable.

New York City in the first decade of the 20th century comes vividly alive in this novel. The protagonist, Archana Morley, is a Bombay-born journalist, working as a journalist in a time when bigotry was raging in New York and women had to fight to be accepted by newspaper bosses and colleagues. Archie is drawn into reporting in Chinatown after a shooting takes place and begins interviewing the people who live there. Her story takes her to No. 10 Doyers Street, the home of Mock Duck, who everyone says is a dangerous gangster. In this novel, Archana pushes to discover the truth about Mock Duck's power in the neighborhood while also digging into the callous government of the city toward families and a possible plan to tear down Chinatown altogether. It is a fascinating look at a little-known period in NYC history with a strong female MC.

N°10 Doyers Street is partially based on true events that took place in New York City and gives the reader an engrossing account of how life was at the beginning of the 20th century. Archana was an immigrant, a reporter in a male dominated business, and had to fight prejudice all around her. She had to fight on account of her color, her place of birth, her disposition to work when women were supposed to only be housewives and support their husbands, she had a voice and made use of it as much as she could. She also was a meticulous observer of what went on around her, and understood and saw the machinations of politicians and people on positions of power not necessarily on elected roles. Two men with colliding dreams will fight to establish their take even at the price of separating a family, many will just be led by those two like a herd with opposing goals. But what really strikes me is that so much of the same continues to happen these days, prejudice still rampage through countries, immigrants are still being exploited, political games coninue to be played nowadays maybe more than ever. It seems like mankind haven't learned much or evolved, it just continues to be a sad, sad world. This book is beautifully written and is highly recommended!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

An unusual novel set in New York City. An Indian female newsreporter investigates a murder trial and face prejudice from her colleagues.
The book is well researched and has a cast of real historical figures.
Review posted on Goodreads.

This is an offbeat, fascinating, engrossing story set in New York City in the first decade of the 20th century. It is populated with a colourful and memorable cast of characters, many of them actual historical figures and some vividly imagined, and takes place against a background of actual events as the rough-and-tumble city grew, changed, developed and began to move towards its future as a modern mega-metropolis. The story tackles issues of gender, class and racial prejudice; civic corruption; community coherence; love of family; and longing for home. A most unusual and enjoyable book which I heartily recommend.

Radha Vatsal’s novel, set in 1907, is based on historical events in New York City in an untried part of a new century. Our viewpoint is through Archie (Archana) Morley, a journalist from Bombay who revels in her freedom to tromp through the streets of her new home in trousers, although she’s not averse to wearing saris to support her doctor husband in his pursuit of better health for the people. Mayor ‘Hizzoner’ Georgie B. McLellan has big plans on the drawing board; one is the Catskills Reservoir Project; the other is demolishing Chinatown in favour of green space, a politically savvy move considering the white elected officials’ firm belief that Chinatown isn’t a worthy part of the city.

Archie’s sojourns to Doyers Street intrigue and scare her after interviewing Mock Duck, the supposed head of the Hip Sing Tong. He is the most feared gangster, responsible for all the violence, yet witnessing the removal, by child services, of his six-year-old adopted daughter, with intent to erase her Asian heritage in favour of a white one, gives Archie a new perspective that both surprises and shocks her, but to which she can relate as an immigrant from an alien country. As she mingles with law and local politics, Archie sees racial inequality playing out firsthand. She gets what she can into print. Sometimes she succeeds, sometimes she doesn’t.

Vatsal’s six years of research has created a compelling look at the early growing pains of New York City, and its relationship with Chinatown, which might well be “Anytown” were there to have been a huge influx of any other non-white culture into the city in a short space of time. The legend of Mock Duck, juxtaposed against what Archie sees and feels, makes for an engrossing read about the erasure of people and their homes and culture in the name of so-called progress.

3.75 stars

This unusual story is as much historical insight as it is mystery. It gives a glimpse into several themes: New York City politics during the Tammany Hall era, racism against Chinese and Indian people, early female news reporters, public health, etc.

Reporter Archana (Archie) Morley came from Bombay, married an American doctor and is working as a reporter. She dresses in trousers rather than saris and faces bad attitudes and prejudice from most people. Her husband appears to be an extraordinarily enlightened man, particularly for that time. I would have liked to have heard more about their relationship which is affectionate and honest and equitable.

Dr. Morley works for the city and is a friend of the mayor, and he works to improve public health.
There is a lot of background on public administration issues of that time including milk pasteurization, clean water and the Catskills Aqueduct and so on. The other historical story running in the background is the infamous Harry Thaw murder trial but it was mostly a red herring.

Archie gets involved in an issue involving Chinatown and we get to watch the various threads she follows and where they lead. There is an epilog which lets us know what happened later which was gratifying. An offbeat and interesting look at those times. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.