Sammy Juliano
Description
<i>Paradise Atop the Hudson</i> revisits a time when life was simpler, albeit the definitive baptism under fire for the novel's saintly protagonist, A
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dam Sean Furano, whose life is turned upside-down after he is ferociously bullied after being set up by a friend who is envious of his loving family. The fictional work is set in Fairview, New Jersey (a small town located directly across from Manhattan) during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and lovingly recreates a community known for the closeness of its residents and year-long events, including the San Paolino Italian Feast, the Firemen's Bazaar, parades, fireworks, and a remarkable community fabric that brings together so many families and individuals via the churches, schools, eateries, entertainment venues, sporting leagues, Scout troops, local mischief, the town library and stores. The novel further examines the era through the period's popular music, movies, television shows and sports, and there is a constant interplay between good and evil, emboldened by the use of Catholic symbolism. Though the novel's main characters and many events are fictional, some supporting characters are real-life and are identified, and at the end of the story, a massive "Who's Who?"-styled acknowledgment appendix pays tribute to past and present residents of Fairview and Cliffside Park, as well as many other authors, bloggers and online friends of the writer who have impacted him in various ways. A section on those residents who have passed on far too young, and a section of names completes this homage to a special place, where growing up was a privilege. The novel's critical occurrence takes place at Palisades Amusement Park in Cliffside Park.
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