"[A] moving novel about loneliness and identity . . . As [the] beautifully drawn characters cross paths in contemporary London, each finds unexpected solace, insight, and hope, leaving readers with a bittersweet but abiding optimism about humanity." —People Magazine, "Book of the Week"
“A striking portrait of lives in contemporary London.” —Harper's Bazaar
“Ambitious . . . Day's protagonists are rounded and believable, and the big city—in all its maddening, bustling glory—is the unofficial fifth character.” —Glamour
"Engrossing . . . [Paradise City] follows the paths of four Londoners so different from each other that the reader eagerly flips the pages to learn how they will intersect . . . [It] gallops ahead happily with a mix of insight [and] humor." —New York Journal of Books
“Confident . . . Day reveals a riveting panorama of London now. She has a journalist's eye for detail as well as an eminently sensible wit . . . As a state-of-the-city novel, it's richer than John Lancaster's Capital and less pleased with itself than Ian McEwan's Saturday.” —Evening Standard
“A seriously good book—intelligent, thought-provoking, funny and tender, it should be a smash this summer.” —Sunday Mirror
“Elegant, sprightly prose . . . [Paradise City] signals the emergence of a literary novelist whose optimism and generosity should gain her a much bigger audience.” —Sunday Telegraph
“An elegant, clever story . . . an addictive page-turner.” —The Observer
“Richly written.” —The Spectator
“Highly convincing.” —The Independent
“The wonder of London, arguably the greatest of all cities of literature, is lovingly and meticulously painted . . . Enthralling . . . moving and convincing . . . It reminds me to some extent of the writing of Penelope Lively, Margaret Drabble, Maeve Binchy or Catherine Dunne. Like those writers Day writes excellent, accessible prose. She has the true novelist's gift of being able to bring us right into the lives of her characters; into their city, into their homes and into their heads.” —Irish Times
"Surprising and rewarding. Through standout prose, including some brilliant imagery, she uses her characters and situations to describe a London that reveals 'all its grubby glamor, all its twisted secrets and oozing promise of possibility.'" —Publishers Weekly
“Day's journalistic experience clearly infuses her novel . . . Her characters have fully documented psychologies, rounded out with precise detail, and her plot, although it invokes big issues—race, class, sexism—delivers shrewd, well-paced storytelling . . . This is unusual, well-crafted storytelling enhanced by some telling emotional notes.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Come for the complex characters, stay for the author’s exquisite prose." —Us Weekly
“Day has demonstrable empathy for the outsider in all of us . . . [yet] a sharp satirical eye.” —Daily Mail
"A compassionate but upbeat look at four interlocking lives in contemporary London. The novel is both thoughtful and witty, unafraid of tackling big subjects (sexual assault, political asylum) even as it finds joy in small human connections . . . An intelligent, well-written novel with depth and heart." —BookPage
"A moving portrait of the insecurities that define the human experience . . . Engaging and fast-paced,Paradise Citywalks the line between engrossing drama and nuanced personal narrative. Day explores the intersection between the external and the internal, joining disparate spheres to give her characters the sense of belonging they so desperately desire." —Paste
"By turns funny and shocking, Paradise City is a novel of and for our time." —Paste, "30 Best Fiction Books of 2015"
"As an exploration of urban life, Paradise City is great. As an examination of the modern human condition, it is fantastic. Though Day clearly puts effort into giving her characters depth, the result doesn't feel forced or overwritten . . . Intelligent and easy . . . provocative and entertaining . . . The book tackles some serious issues, like sorrow and isolation, but balances the heaviness with some lightness and lots of heart. It’s optimistic without being predictable or saccharine, and elegant without being fussy." —Bookreporter.com
"An emotional story fueled by its characters and the potency of a city." —Bustle, “13 of December 2015’s Best Books to Go With Your Holiday Cheer”
"Both sensitive and cuttingly astute . . . Paradise City is beautifully written and closely observed, but its strength lies in Day's compassion for her characters and her understanding that, beneath the surface, the strivers and the invisible, the glittering and the lonely, are people united by the universal need for acceptance and love." —Jeanette Zwart, Shelf Awareness
"Every character is richly detailed and Day's clear, sharp prose had me relating to their every feeling from wild, unexpected happiness to deep, thudding sadness. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much!" —Lauren Peugh, Shelf Awareness
2015-08-30
A handful of strangers in London find themselves connected, and changed, by dark events—sudden death, sexual assault—and the humbling of a self-made man. Four characters narrate the new novel from British journalist-turned-author Day (Home Fires, 2013): rag-trade tycoon Sir Howard Pink; ambitious journalist Esme Reade; haunted Ugandan immigrant Beatrice Kizza; and a widow, Carol Hetherington, whose role in the story moves from peripheral to central. Pink (originally named Fink, the son of Jewish immigrants), with his passing resemblance to a real-life British businessman, starts the ball rolling via an action that brings to mind another figure from news headlines when he forces himself sexually on a black chambermaid in an upscale English hotel. The chambermaid is Beatrice, and there will be repercussions. Pink is no stranger to the media. His rags-to-riches background and high-profile, luxurious lifestyle make good copy. But he's also known for the family tragedy that befell him 11 years earlier: the disappearance of his lovely but troubled 19-year-old daughter, Ada. Day's journalistic experience clearly infuses her novel, not just in her borrowing of front-page events and characters or in the plausible background to Esme's work environment, but also in the briskly efficient narration. Her characters have fully documented psychologies, rounded out with precise detail, and her plot, although it invokes big issues—race, class, sexism—delivers shrewd, well-paced storytelling. Most memorable is the trajectory of Sir Howard, the bullying outsider whose descent into self-disgust and the abject depths of sorrow is achieved with surprising impact. In his orbit, Esme's career blossoms and Beatrice's life swerves away from isolation and nightmare, while the once-fearless entrepreneur himself emerges from suffering and self-scrutiny a better man. Despite a sugary, overly tidy ending, this is unusual, well-crafted storytelling enhanced by some telling emotional notes.
