One of the many things this book taught me was that the arm of Statue of Liberty used to be in Madison Square Park for a fundraising drive.  Oh I may have read it in a history book along the way, but this book brings it to LIFE and makes it memorable!

Yet another book tie-in is that when the fundraising wasn't going particularly well, it was Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World newspaper who started a donations drive that got the needed funds in hand to send on to France for the statue's completion.

There are so many tie-ins and connections to New York's great history, it makes me want to be back in school and needing a fascinating essay subject!

I always struggled with a good essay subject and there I was living in New York State with a fascinating history under my nose, but I really didn't realize it at the time.  This I have to fault the educational system with.  History should be brought to life by authors!  Not dry, boring history book writers.

Here's an old photograph that shows lots of different modes of transportation from back in the day that I've no doubt seen many times, but it takes a well written book to take you from merely seeing the outside shells of past times to taking you INSIDE of them, all around them, to smell and taste the reality of it all.  Jack Finney masterfully brings history to vivid life for his readers!