"Forever" by Pete Hamill

Forever by Pete Hamill is a hugely nostalgic look at Manhattan, New York from its inception to today. His main character, Cormac O'Connor, is granted the gift of life, forever, as long as he does not leave the island of Manhattan. It is through Cormac's eyes that we see Manhattan become the great metropolis that it is today. And it is through Cormac's life that we learn the not so brilliant background of greed, racial discrimination and filthy politics that Manhattan is built upon. The book is an historic record of some of America's hidden secrets. I sighed and I cried while reading this book.  

Hamill tells a magical story with a very real tie to realism. It is just as though Cormac lives through each of Manhattan’s iconic eras and teaches readers all the mistakes people make in the formation of a new society. From persecution of immigrants to slavery, Hamill covers it all. He provides reasons for the destruction witnessed in these pages of history and Cormac provides us with a stable point of view which never fails. 

I would definitely read this book again. And then, I hope to remember all of the intricate details of history revealed. And I want to experience the magic of Cormac’s life once more. I just love the boy, and the man, Cormac becomes. I felt every one of his losses and successes down to my heart.