We mentioned E.L. Doctorow's new Harlem-based book, Langley and Homer, this past week but would like to make a note of one of his must-read novels, Ragtime. Set at the turn of the century, Ragtime focuses on three main families, including a white, upper middle-class, upstate New Yorkers; an immigrant, Jewish family on the Lower East Side; and finally the pivotal African-American family in Harlem. Doctorow blends the true-life "crime of the century" with his fictional families and provides an insightful look on the class struggles of the early 20th century. Read the book, or rent out the movie on Netflix in preparation for the major Broadway revival of the show based on the novel.
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