Author: James Dalessandro

Blog Book Tour | “1906” by James Dalessandro

Posted Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary used copy of “1906” direct from the author James Dalessandro in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Why I wanted to read ‘1906’:

I have garnished an appreciation for ‘natural disaster’ stories – mostly via motion pictures or tv adaptations since I was a young child. I credit this to being surrounded by natural disasters in a region of the United States frequently plagued by everything you can think of save earthquakes, such as the one at the center of what went wrong in San Francisco in ‘1906’! I’ve survived my fair share of tornadoes, hurricanes, severe lightning storms and have been downwind of impressive forest fires which blocked out sunlight and daylight in equal measure. Nature has a way of imparting it’s fury on us at times where I tend to think we’ve missed a lesson somewhere about minding our actions and being more respectful towards the environment we’re meant to be stewards.

The heart of the story within in ‘1906’ is not entirely centred on the quake itself, but the back-story of what was happening in the city – at the corruption and the actions of others who set into motion a spiraling vortex of destructive damages that would lead to the greatest cost of the event itself.

-as revealled on the Guest Post by the author I previously showcased on this blog tour

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Blog Book Tour | “1906” by James Dalessandro1906: A Novel
by James Dalessandro
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Every disaster has a backstory, none more thrilling than this one. Set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, this page-turning tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance, rescue—and murder—is based on recently uncovered facts that forever change our understanding of what really happened.

Told by a feisty young reporter, Annalisa Passarelli, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Victorian-era city, from the mansions of Nob Hill to the underbelly of the Barbary Coast to the arrival of tenor Enrico Caruso and the Metropolitan Opera. Central to the story is the ongoing battle—fought even as the city burns—that pits incompetent and unscrupulous politicians against a coalition of honest police officers, newspaper editors, citizens, and a lone federal prosecutor.

With the appeal and texture of The Alienist, Carter Beats the Devil, and the novels of E. L. Doctrow, James Dalessandro weaves unforgettable characters and actual events into a compelling epic.

Genres: Biographical Fiction, Biography / Autobiography, Historical Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

ISBN: 0811849414

Also by this author: Guest Post on writing '1906'

Published by Chronicle Books

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 361

Published By: Chronicle Books (@ChronicleBooks)

Loved reading the Mission Statement on behalf of Chronicle Books!

Small discrepancies: my used copy of ‘1906’ is dated ‘2004’ however I cannot determine an exact publication date for this edition as mine is paperback not hardback. Also, my cover-art matches the hardback edition from 2004 not the paperback edition of 2005; ergo the cover art on the blog tour is for the ebook edition which was released in 2013.

Note about a used copy for review: I only mentioned it as relevance for having a different book cover and the issues determining the publication date, etc. I am thankful I had a print copy to read for this blog tour and as I’m a regular book buyer of used books, the fact my copy has slight wear and tear on it from previous readers did not bother me as most used books come with a bit of ‘history’. As a whole, I don’t believe my copy was overly read as the pages felt crisp and clean as the only wear on it at all were the edges of the book itself except for the curious ‘note’ I found on the very last page which applies to a certain medical supply company and product I have never heard of – thus hinting another reader has this copy before I did myself. The rest of the pages are untouched – I found it most curious!

Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback and Ebook

About James Dalessandro

James Dallesandro

James Dalessandro was born in Cleveland Ohio, and educated at Ohio University and UCLA film school. In 1973 he founded the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival with Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ken Kesey, the nation’s largest literary event.

He has written for Playboy, the Examiner newspapers, San Francisco magazine. He was writer of the House of Blues Radio Hour and created the nationally syndicated program “Rock On” with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

He has published four books: Canary in a Coal Mine (poetry); Bohemian Heart (noir detective fiction); Citizen Jane(True Crime); and 1906: A Novel (Historical Fiction).

He is award winning writer/director/producer of the documentary film THE DAMNEDEST, FINEST RUINS (PBS/KQED), and writer/producer of the Hallmark Movie “Citizen Jane,” based on his book. He is screenwriter of “1906” the upcoming Pixar/Warner Brothers live action film based on his novel of the same name. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Katie and best pal Giacomo Poochini.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Indie Author, Passionate Researcher, Re-Told Tales, Writing Style & Voice

Author Guest Post | “On taking the scale of the disaster and purporting it through the dramatic narrative arc which became the embodiment of the story behind ‘1906’” by James Dalessandro

Posted Friday, 13 May, 2016 by jorielov , 0 Comments

Author Guest Post Banner created by Jorie in Canva.

I have garnished an appreciation for ‘natural disaster’ stories – mostly via motion pictures or tv adaptations since I was a young child. I credit this to being surrounded by natural disasters in a region of the United States frequently plagued by everything you can think of save earthquakes, such as the one at the center of what went wrong in San Francisco in ‘1906’! I’ve survived my fair share of tornadoes, hurricanes, severe lightning storms and have been downwind of impressive forest fires which blocked out sunlight and daylight in equal measure. Nature has a way of imparting it’s fury on us at times where I tend to think we’ve missed a lesson somewhere about minding our actions and being more respectful towards the environment we’re meant to be stewards.

The heart of the story within in ‘1906’ is not entirely centred on the quake itself, but the back-story of what was happening in the city – at the corruption and the actions of others who set into motion a spiraling vortex of destructive damages that would lead to the greatest cost of the event itself. I wanted to give the author a chance to explain his approach to lending a literary voice to this event and to the circumstances surrounding it; as to best introduce the inspiration behind the novel and the story which has led to changing hearts and minds about what truly was the truth about the losses lost that fateful year.

Lend your heart and mind to the truer story behind the fictional account and I hope you might become inspired to read ‘1906’ as much as I was myself. Some stories simply need to be told in order for History to acknowledge the truth that was simply hidden from sight – generation to generation – after faded memories erased it from being remembered.

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1906 by James Dallesandro

Every disaster has a backstory, none more thrilling than this one. Set during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire, this page-turning tale of political corruption, vendettas, romance, rescue—and murder—is based on recently uncovered facts that forever change our understanding of what really happened. Told by a feisty young reporter, Annalisa Passarelli, the novel paints a vivid picture of the Victorian-era city, from the mansions of Nob Hill to the underbelly of the Barbary Coast to the arrival of tenor Enrico Caruso and the Metropolitan Opera. Central to the story is the ongoing battle—fought even as the city burns—that pits incompetent and unscrupulous politicians against a coalition of honest police officers, newspaper editors, citizens, and a lone federal prosecutor.

With the appeal and texture of The Alienist, Carter Beats the Devil, and the novels of E. L. Doctrow, James Dalessandro weaves unforgettable characters and actual events into a compelling epic.

 

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The topic I pitched to Mr Dalessandro about his novel ‘1906’:

How did you take the scale of the disaster and purport it through the dramatic narrative arc which became the embodiment of the story behind ‘1906’? What did you instinctively want to focus on in order to provide a grounding of depth but also the humanistic response to the tragedy and it’s aftermath? Did anything surprise you whilst you were researching the back-story for the novel?

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I have been a devotee of historical fiction since age 12 when I began reading Leon Uris – Battle Cry, Exodus, Mila 18. I discovered historical detail and human struggle missing from my classes and textbooks. I was transported, an eager party to the events unfolding in the pages.

All epic historical fiction needs a narrative arc, a dramatic spine anchored in an ever-evolving human struggle. Ordinary person, extraordinary events. The Civil War needs Rhett and Scarlett; California’s ascendance as the last beacon of the American dream requires Steinbeck’s Adam Trask and Tom Joad.

In my new home of San Francisco, I had a window seat on the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, and the equally appalling 3 ½ year prison sentence of their killer, Dan White, of the infamous “Twinkie Defense.”

I set out to write my first novel, Bohemian Heart by updating the Noir detective thriller to contemporary San Francisco, where it was born in the Remington of Dashiell Hammett. I co-mingled a P.I. yarn with my outrage over the “official story” surrounding the assassinations of Moscone and Milk.   The reviews and reader response were marvelous, the sales far less so.  Read More

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Posted Friday, 13 May, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Indie Author, Passionate Researcher, Re-Told Tales, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Writing Style & Voice