"Death lurks around every corner in this unforgettable Jewish historical fantasy about a city, a boy, and the shadows of the past that bind them both together. Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he'll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania. But when Alter's best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a...

"In the hospital recovering from a stab wound, 15-year old Dennis Foley has far too much time on his hands. He can only stare at the ceiling tiles and study the beige painted walls for so long. Foley is forced to confront his past and examine the path that almost led to his death. Chicago's Southside neighborhoods of the 1960 s and 1970 s spring to life in this mem-fic (part memoir-part fiction), where Foley intertwines stories about his drunken father...