Dreamland (Kevin Baker)

Baker’s novel of Lower East Side New York at the turn of the twentieth century — Coney Island sideshows, Tammany politics, sweatshops and the Triangle fire — and the first book of his “City of Fire” trilogy, which continues with Paradise Alley (2002) and Strivers Row (2006).

Why it’s on the list: Named in the replies to @moseskagan asking for historical fiction with building and trade in it rather than violence — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved. Kyle’s line names the trilogy; this card stands for the whole “City of Fire” sequence, taking the first volume as its entry point.

Kyle’s line reads “‘City of Fire’ trilogy by Kevin Baker” — one card for the series, filed under its opening volume. The title takes a (Kevin Baker) suffix because Dreamland is a common book title.

Where I saw it: In the replies to @moseskagan asking “What historical fiction should I read next? (Bonus points for something involving building or trade, rather than violence)” (April 13, 2025). Kyle recovered the reply list by hand and saved it to his “Books To Read” Apple Note; the full transcribed list lives on What historical fiction should I… (tweet).

Connections

• What historical fiction should I… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• City Building — the portfolio idea this sits closest to: a novel about a city being physically and politically assembled.
• Historical Fiction — the genre the thread was asking about.