World's Fair
E. L. Doctorow · 1931–2015 · United States
Why it matters
A boy growing up in the 1930s Bronx navigates family secrets and the wonder of the 1939 World's Fair in a novel drawn closely from Doctorow's own childhood. His National Book Award winner turns personal memory into collective Depression-era mythology.
At a glance
bildungsromanhistorical fiction
Difficulty 3/10medium pace288 pagesA child narrator's clear, direct voice makes for an accessible, fast-moving read.
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