The Bronx: 1,001 Novels: A Library of America

 The Bronx - 1,001 Novels:

A Library of America

1. Charming Billy (1998) by Alice McDermott

2. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent (1991) - Julia Alvarez

3.  Don't Erase Me (1997) by Carolyn Ferrell

4. The Bait (1968) - Dorothy Uhnak

5.  Spidertown (1996) - Abraham Rodriguez Jr.

6. The Catfish Man: A Conjured Life (1980) by Jerome Charyn

7.  The Blackboard Jungle (1954) by Evan Hunter

   Socioeconomic distress is the name of the game in the seven novels in The Bronx from 1,001 Novels: A Library of America.  There is also a specific focus on the years between 1950 and 1990- that basically handles all seven titles.  I was glad to finally read an Alice McDermott book- never would have without the 1,001 Novels: A Library of America project to push me.  I also enjoyed reading my first Julia Alvarez, I now understand her significance as an author within the world of American Lit.  Lowlights were those bottom three books- the Audiobook of The Blackboard Jungle was a huge mistake- 13 scarring hours that I'll never retrieve. 

  I'm not entirely surprised at the absence of any books set in the 19th century- like- at all- but I suppose The Bronx wasn't really a thing until the 20th century?   I don't know and none of these books made me care.