The Paragon Hotel

Alice James arrives in Portland, Oregon in 1921, having fled New York City with a bullet wound and a mysterious past. She finds refuge at the Paragon Hotel - Portland's only all-Black hotel during an era of strictly enforced racial segregation. The hotel's residents initially regard Alice, a white woman, with suspicion, but she forms a bond with Blossom Fontaine, a skilled jazz performer with secrets of her own. When a child disappears from the hotel, Alice becomes entangled in the search while navigating Portland's complex racial tensions and the looming threat of the Ku Klux Klan. The narrative moves between Alice's dangerous life in 1920s New York and her present circumstances in Portland, revealing how both cities grapple with prejudice, violence, and corruption. Through these parallel storylines, her true identity and the circumstances that brought her west gradually come into focus. The Paragon Hotel examines the intersection of race, power, and identity in Prohibition-era America. The story confronts how privilege, prejudice, and the weight of the past shape both individuals and communities.

Readers appreciate the dual timeline structure and the vivid portrayal of both 1920s Portland and New York. Many note the strong character development, particularly of protagonist Alice "Nobody" James and the diverse cast at the Paragon Hotel. The dialogue receives praise for its period-appropriate slang and wit. Common criticisms include a slow start, occasionally confusing jumps between timelines, and plot threads that feel unresolved. Several readers mention struggling to follow all the characters and their relationships. Some found the ending unsatisfying. Specific praise focuses on the historical research and depiction of racial tensions in Oregon. A frequent complaint is that the New York storyline feels less developed than the Portland sections. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (1,000+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (600+ ratings) Notable reader quote: "The strength lies in its atmosphere and dialogue rather than its mystery plot." - Goodreads reviewer

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🏨 The Paragon Hotel was inspired by the true story of Oregon's discriminatory laws - the state actually banned Black residents until 1926, making Portland's all-Black hotel a rare sanctuary in a hostile environment. 🗽 Author Lyndsay Faye extensively researched 1920s vernacular to create Alice "Nobody" James's authentic Jazz Age voice, incorporating period-specific slang and expressions throughout the novel. ⚔️ The book weaves together two distinct American struggles of the 1920s: the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in Oregon and the Italian mafia wars in Harlem, New York. 🚂 The historic Union Station in Portland, where key scenes take place, still stands today and maintains much of its original 1896 architecture, including the iconic "Go By Train" neon sign. 👥 The character of Alice "Nobody" James was partially influenced by real-life female gangsters of the 1920s, particularly those who operated in New York's organized crime circles.