The Paragon Hotel

By: Lyndsay Faye

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

A gun moll with a knack for disappearing flees from Prohibition-era Harlem to Portland's Paragon Hotel.

The year is 1921, and "Nobody" Alice James has just arrived in Oregon with a bullet wound, a lifetime's experience battling the New York Mafia, and 50,000 dollars in illicit cash. She befriends Max, a Black Pullman porter who reminds her achingly of home and who saves Alice by leading her to the Paragon Hotel. 

But her unlikely sanctuary turns out to be an all-Black hotel in a Jim Crow city, and its lodgers seem unduly terrified of a White woman on the premises. As she meets the churlish Dr. Pendleton, the stately Mavereen, and the club chanteuse Blossom Fontaine, she understands their dread. The Ku Klux Klan has arrived in Portland in fearful numbers - burning crosses, electing officials, infiltrating newspapers, and brutalizing Blacks. And only Alice and her new Paragon "family" are searching for a missing mulatto child who has mysteriously vanished into the woods. To untangle the web of lies and misdeeds around her, Alice will have to answer for her own past, too.

A richly imagined novel starring two indomitable heroines, The Paragon Hotel at once plumbs the darkest parts of America's past and the most redemptive facets of humanity. From international best-selling, multi-award-nominated writer Lyndsay Faye, it's a masterwork of historical suspense. 

©2019 Lyndsay Faye (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Utterly winning...Faye writes a good puzzle...[and she’s] a person meant to write, who thinks and jokes and understands by writing. It’s a rare gift..” (New York Times Book Review) 

“The Paragon Hotel is set a century ago, but its themes of social and cultural upheaval feel sufficiently fresh that you might think twice about calling Lyndsay Faye’s sixth novel historical fiction. But calling it terrific - not for a minute should you hesitate to do that.... The great strength of 'The Paragon Hotel' is Ms. Faye’s voice - a blend of film noir and screwball comedy.... The jauntiness of the prose doesn’t hide the fact that Ms. Faye has serious business on her mind. At bottom, The Paragon Hotel is about identity and about family - those we’re born into and those we create.” (The Wall Street Journal)  

"With complex, believable characters and an intricate plot, this is a sprightly, enjoyable read." (People)

“Faye once again vividly illuminates history with her fiction....remarkably fluid fiction, framed as a love letter and based in fact.” (Booklist, starred review)

“This historical novel, which carries strong reverberations of present-day social and cultural upheavals, contains a message from a century ago that's useful to our own time: ‘We need to do better at solving things.’ A riveting multilevel thriller of race, sex, and mob violence that throbs with menace as it hums with wit.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)  

Not my favorite but okay.

The narrator was fantastic. But the story was like trying to fit as many story lines as you possibly can into one. There was way too much going on. I feel like the author thought “how many insane things can go on at once? A mobster heroine, the KKK, a secret couple that had to hide their interracial love, a transgender lesbian who hid a child and then shipped him off to boarding school? What else can I add in... “
It didn’t make sense until Chapter 16 or so, and even then, was still too much. The ending was insanely abrupt for all those details.

1st 5 star listen of 2019

I loved all these characters! Alice on the run finds a friend in Pullman porter Max, who sees she’s in more trouble than she is letting on. He brings her to the black hotel The Paragon, where we meet a rousing cast of characters, including Blossom who is a very interesting character. Alice is a white woman at a black hotel in the 1920’s so you are kind of on edge waiting for something bad to happen. But with these two tough women whoever messes with them better look out!

This book is about friendship, what it means to be family, race relations, the mob and oh so much more that I don’t want to give away because I want you to come to the realization and have the same sense of wonder I did at the reveal!

January LaVoy’s narration is fantastic every single person has their own voice you are never questioning who is talking because she gives everyone a unique voice!

I really, really loved this book! I highly recommend this book!

5 Stars

Great historical fiction

Fascinating book I could not stop listening. This is a story that needs to be told. I had no idea that the KKK had such a presence in Portland OR.

Strong Women

Nobody Alice James is a very strong Italian/Welsh woman from Harlem. Set in the 1920 this book follows Nobody from Harlem to Portland.
When arriving in Portland Nobody is taken to the Paragon Hotel by Pullman porter Max due to an injury she revived in Harlem.

While there she meets Blossom Fountaine who is a beautiful African Americans singer. Who is also a strong female character.

I enjoy the story of these two main characters and the supporting characters are well writing too!!

Enjoyed the character stories and the narrator’s telling.

I listened to the Audible version of this book, entertainingly and well narrated by January LaVoy. The Paragon Hotel, set in the 1920’s, is not just about the hotel but the inner circle of those working there and its guests. Each person has a story, and secrets. We meet everyone through Alice “Nobody” James, and discover the Harlem past that lead her to land in Oregon at the Paragon. Between chapters Author Lyndsay Faye disperses historical references to the nation’s post-war Prohibition Era views, Oregon’s own racial and sex-based oppressiveness, Italian mafia history in the likes of Harlem, feminist movement, and national headlines. I recommend reading or listening to the audio version.

WOW...just WOW

I have listened to hundreds of audible books, and have had several favorites; this is by far one of the most amazing books I have ever read – listened to. The story was phenomenal, and I have to say that if I had just read this book it would not have had the same impact as it did by listeningTo it. January Lavoy Is one of my favorite narrators and she absolutely makes this book! This book is a magnificent read, from prohibition, to race, to mobs and mafia, to gender,Love and everything in between. It is no means bias in Any way which or form. There are random bits of historical fiction thrown in at the beginning of every chapter. You will not be disappointed, I can assure you! This is a must read

A great read and a great listen

This story moves at the pace of a vaudeville show. It has a rhyme and a pace that is fast moving from one event to another, from then to now. A roaring 20's vibe that requires close attention to follow the plot and pick up the nuances. I did enjoy the tale. I was surprised I thought I got it and was way short of the whole of the tale. The parallels between beginnings of NYC mafia and the KKK in Oregon are instructive. The characters are charming.

Audio makes this story come alive

I started reading the paper book first and had a hard time getting into it, so I went for the audio to listen to while I painted my kitchen. The story was much more engaging hearing the voice inflections and character shifts. I learned a lot about history and appreciate the author’s ability to address a sad reality for people of color STILL happening today. Thank you for this story!

Great characters, fascinating history

The book was slow in developing but gradually created a panorama of a fascinating era of American history. The author does her research and also offers insights into racism, gender identity, mobsters, and loyalties, not to mention a number of twists and a few heartbreaks.

Intriguing read

I enjoy reading books set in the early 1900s and this one exceeded all my expectations. Living in Portland present day made it even more intriguing. The narrator does an excellent job with the wide array of characters. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction mixed with plenty of real-life stories of the time. Romance, the mafia, racial tensions, socioeconomic tensions, political power...it has it all.