World's Fair

Summary

Drawing on his own childhood, Doctorow narrates the life of a bright Jewish boy growing up in the Bronx during the 1930s, surrounded by family struggles, neighborhood characters, and the rising shadows of the Depression. Multiple voices punctuate the boy's recollections, building a chorus that culminates in a luminous visit to the 1939 New York World's Fair. The novel pairs documentary realism with the soft glow of remembered wonder.