I had the delightful pleasure of being part of the pre-launch team for this fun and education book. Who knew you could learn so much about a historical event in such an entertaining read.

Paradise on the Pike takes place during the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Although I've lived in the area for decades, I knew virtually nothing about this historic event. Reading about it while being immersed in a mystery had me zipping through the pages, wondering what would happen next.

Great book -- highly recommend.

Sarah Angleton's novel is a classic "coming to America" tale, along with an eye-opening insight into the development of 20th-century zoos and a murder mystery on top. Fascinating. well written and a great twist at the end. I was given access to this book by NetGalley.

Paradise on the Pike takes place in the early 1900s, and follows 20 year old Max and his mother’s move from Germany, to St. Louis, MO. Max is approached by a stranger (Carl Hagenbeck) at his home in Germany, who offers to buy the family’s farm with the intention of constructing an animal exhibition. Since the recent death of Max’s alcoholic, abusive father, his mother sees this offer as the perfect opportunity for her and Max to immigrate to America and make a fresh start with her brother’s family. Upon arrival Max struggles in his new life, but eventually comes full circle with Carl Hagenbeck’s Animal Paradise by working with the animals during the 1904 World’s Fair.

I loved the historical aspect of Paradise. Period settings are some of my favorite types of books. Angleton does a great job of setting the stage for the work that went into the site of the 1904 World’s Fair. And I loved reading the extra information in the Author’s Note, giving more background on Hagenbeck and how he was a pioneer of open enclosures for animals that are still used in zoos today, but how he also conducted strange experiments and exploited indigenous people in his exhibits.

Max is a troubled character and as you get to know him more throughout the book, you see how living with an abusive parent has affected him. He also has trouble adjusting to his new life in America, after coming from a more isolated life on his family farm in Hamburg. I felt Max had an unhealthy grasp of relationships because of the abuse he and his mother suffered at the hands of his father. For me, Max definitely gave me an uneasy feeling and I thought Angleton handled the writing of his character really well.

Aside from the historical aspect and a look at life for immigrants in the early 1900s, the book also takes on a murder mystery story line. I thought Angleton wrote this really well, and I loved how she tied all of the elements of the story together in the reveal at the end of the book. It’s an interesting take on how individuals can be affected by the traumas in their life.

If you are a fan of books like Water for Elephants and books by written by Kristin Hannah, who writes characters that deal with trauma, then I would highly recommend Paradise on the Pike. It deals with the darker side of humanity and relationships, during a time when the world was on the verge of welcoming new ideas and innovations, and Angleton masterfully combined the feelings of despair and loneliness with the hope of all that the World’s Fair had to offer.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A well told story with interesting characters and a fictional murder mystery woven into the actual history.

Good read
4.25☆

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture****

An interesting study of what we call human nature and of the intricate problems of the immigrant who wasn't quite ready to leave all he knew behind. It's the story of the St Louis exhibition and the development of the zoological park. But mostly it is the story of a confused and traumatized young man that ends badly. I think that I was not the right audience for this story.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you.