Queens Gazette

Books Set In Queens



Here’s a list of six books that are set in Queens, each encapsulating a different aspect of the culture and life in the borough.

The chilling Park Lane South, Queens, by Mary Anne Kelly, was published in 1990 and takes place in Richmond Hill. Protagonist Claire Breslinsky, comes back home to Richmond Hill after traveling the world. Then suddenly, the body of a young boy who was brutally molested, beaten, and murdered is found in the woods. Breslinsky works to solve the case alongside a detective. Soon the child victims increase and her search for answers puts her family in danger. The Claire Breslinsky Mysteries include five sequels – Foxglove, Keeper of the Mill, Tillyweed, Jenny Rose: A Novel, The Cordelia Squad: A Novel of Queens, New York – and one prequel, Pack Up the Moon: A Novel.

Native Speaker, written by Chang-rae Lee, was published in 1996 and centers around Henry Park, who is Korean American. Park has always pursued becoming a native speaker and acclimating to American culture which causes him to gradually lose his connection to his Korean heritage. Living a life as an observer, Park gains the natural abilities of a spy. He is tasked to spy on a Korean American politician in Flushing and soon becomes immersed in the neighborhood’s political world. The book has a huge focus on the general need to feel like one belongs in the world and the effects of alienation. Native Speaker has made a huge impact in the Asian American literary world.

The Ecstatic is an entertaining novel by Victor LaValle, published in 2002. After being expelled from Cornell University, Anthony James is forced to move back into his mother’s basement in Queens. The overweight, and possibly schizophrenic, James takes jobs cleaning homes and working in factories with the ultimate goal of making horror movies. His mother’s, grandmother’s, and sister’s mental stability are questionable as well. Altogether, James and his quirky family try to survive some chaotic, comical events.

Queens Noir is an anthology with works from 19 authors – Denis Hamill, Malachy McCourt, Maggie Estep, Megan Abbott, Robert Knightly, Liz Martínez, Jill Eisenstadt, Mary Byrne, Tori Carrington, Shailly P. Agnihotri, K.j.a. Wishnia, Victoria Eng, Alan Gordon, Beverly Farley, Joe Guglielmelli, and Glenville Lovell. Edited by Robert Knightly, this addition to the Akashic Noir series contains 19 stories. Each disturbing mystery takes place in a different place in Queens, whether that’s the 7 train, JFK airport, or even a bowling alley in Forest Hills.

The re-imagining of the Anna Karenina story by Irina Reyn, What Happened to Anna K., is set in Rego Park. Protagonist Anna K. is unhappy in her marriage and begins an affair with her cousin’s boyfriend. To make things more complicated, she soon discovers another man is in love with her cousin. As the drama unfolds, the book makes sure to incorporate complications that arise from each character’s differing ethnic background.

Bella Fortuna, published in 2012, is a novel by Rosanna Chiofalo. Valentina DeLuca works with her sisters and mother to design wedding dresses from a boutique in Astoria. Spending years making every bride’s dream come true, it is now her turn to be the bride. As she is preparing for her big day, she begins to reevaluate where she finds happiness in her life. At the end of this tale, DeLuca realizes that perhaps luck does not just come one’s way, but rather it must be achieved through one’s own work – bella fortuna.

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