Palisades Park (Brennert) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Palisades Park is a perfect novel. Alan Brennert does a spectacular job of laying out a family saga from 1922 to 1974... he gracefully conjures up a place and time that is no more.
Newark Star-Ledger

 
An epic journey through the life of a treasured amusement park, with a cast of characters who experience great wonders and tragedies.
Lancaster Sunday News


Brennert writes his valentine to the New Jersey playground of his youth in Ragtime style, mixing fact and fiction.  It’s a memorable trip.
People Magazine


[A] love letter to Palisades—and to a bygone age.... Brennert convincingly incorporates into the narrative authentic figures and anecdotes about the park, and creates a real emotional pull in his evocative descriptions of the eccentric, hardworking people who made up the Palisades family in good times and in bad.
Publishers Weekly


Brennert again writes his specialty—a book that has such a strong sense of place, the location becomes the story's main character.... Verdict: This tightly researched book (the author grew up at the foot of the Palisades) makes for fascinating reading, down to the tiniest authentic detail.... This nostalgic coming-of-age tale of a little girl with big dreams is the perfect read. —Beth Gibbs, Davidson NC
Library Journal


When Eddie Stopka first visits New Jersey’s Palisades amusement park with his family in 1922, he is so charmed he knows he is destined to come back. When he does return, it is to become a french-fry vendor, marking the beginning of nearly half a century of work at the park.... [R]ewarding depictions of the more cheerful, hopeful American of old. —Sarah Grant
Booklist


A literate, thoughtful saga covering half a century in the life of a family whose world centers on a New Jersey amusement park.... A pleasure to read, especially for those who collect giant pineapples, roller coasters and other roadside attractions.
Kirkus Reviews