North River    by Pete Hamill Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2007 (2007) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Joan Burton Dr. James Delaney is dealing with the Great Depression as best he can. It is 1934, sixteen years after the end of World War I, and he is dedicated to helping his patients, regardless of whether or not they can pay him. He is a very caring, compassionate man. After serving in the war, Delaney returned to his old neighborhood in Greenwich Village to look after his own. An old friend that the good doctor saved in the war, Eddie Corso, is now a local gangster and once again Delaney is called to save his life. Another local hood, Italian Frankie Botts, is not too pleased about his intervention and threatens Delaney. He has other troubles too. His wife Molly disappeared months before and he does not know if she is dead or alive. His only child, Grace, ran off to Mexico when she was seventeen and married a revolutionary. One cold winter day Delaney returns home to find his two-year-old grandson abandoned on his porch with a note attached. Grace is off to Europe to follow her fleeing husband and wants her father to take care of her son. On his own with the young boy, Delaney hires Rose, a Sicilian immigrant, to help with the child and keep house. Rose comes with her own emotional baggage and secrets, but soon Delaney finds the company welcome. With threats from the underworld, and the FBI asking questions about his daughter, Delaney's life is full of tension. Then a call from the local police opens a window of hope about his missing wife. North River is a story of compassion, love, and one man's strength to carry on through hard times. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews