Description

Farro Fescu is the proud and observant concierge of Echo Terrace, a condominium in New York City. Passing through his lobby at all hours is an exotic cross-section of the world's population: an Egyptian-born plastic surgeon who specializes in gender reassignment, a fighter pilot who flew for Nazi Germany during World War II, an Iraqi spice merchant and the world-famous quilter with whom he's having an affair, the adulterer's son who dreams of becoming an undertaker, and the widow whose apartment is a jungle Eden filled with a menagerie of specimens.

Farro Fescu knows them all, knows all their secrets. Yet he does not know what is in his own heart -- why, after a long, hard life, he is still alive, and still alone. Nor does he know what he will be capable of in the face of sudden, overwhelming tragedy.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

About the Author

Nicholas Rinaldi is the author of two previous novels, The Jukebox Queen of Malta and Bridge Fall Down, and three collections of poetry. His stories and poems have appeared widely in literary journals here and abroad. He teaches literature and creative writing at Fairfield University, and lives in Connecticut with his wife, Jackie.

Praise For…

“Rinaldi is a master of elegant prose…gradually hypnotizes and charms, coaxing beauty from the tragic and surreal.” — Entertainment Weekly

“Vivid, elegiac…. Hauntingly beautiful.” — Boston Globe

“Hypnotic … Mesmerizing…Audacious… a novel of eerie dimension … A wondrously restrained group portrait of a downtown Manhattan condominium’s residents.” — Elle

“A rich, ambitious book....Rinaldi conjures a cosmopolitan New York that is violent and tender.” — The Economist

“A beautiful, emotionally uplifting tribute to the human spirit....Rinaldi summons no less than the pageant of the human tragicomedy.” — Booklist (Starred Review)

“A novel of substance worth your sinking into this summer…. BETWEEN TWO RIVERS is the book of a lifetime.” — Philadelphia Inquirer

“Sprawling [and] elegant.” — New York Times Book Review

“Memorable....Richly textured....Rinaldi paints a complex, compelling portrait of the ways in which we flirt with the American Dream.” — People

“In a city with eight million stories, this is one worth picking up.” — Wall Street Journal

“Offers even more than fine writing and a well-constructed, intriguing tale ... poignant and uplifting.” — BookPage

“Superb entertainment … what counts is the warmhearted celebration of New Yorkers and their relentless curiosity.” — Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“Offer[s] subtle portraits of the residents of Echo Terrace....These are complex, moving stoires...with multifaceted and memorable characters.” — Publishers Weekly

“Nicholas Rinaldi is such a gifted writer -- immensely articulate, lyrical, wise.” — Jay Parini, author of THE APPRENTICE LOVER