Visitation Street

Ivy Pochoda has assembled a unique and diverse cast of characters in the unique setting of Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood for her outstanding Visitation Street, which was hand-picked by author Dennis Lehane to be the first book under his new imprint. Many of us think of Brooklyn as that idyllic neighborhood across the river from Manhattan filled with expensive brownstones and trendy shops and restaurants. But there's more to Brooklyn than meets the eye. Red Hook is filled with Italian Americans, African Americans, homeless folks, poverty, restless teenagers, and hard-working people. One of Red Hook's teenage girls goes missing and another nearly drowns after taking a raft out on the water after dark one hot summer night. Visitation Street is a mystery of what happened to June, but, more importantly, a study of how the community reacts to this tragedy. The story is told from many points of view, so gives you a rich, panoramic picture of a gritty and tough community. Highly recommended.