In Novel About 18th-Century Wall Street, Financial Journalist Turns From Fact To Fiction
Paddy Hirsch covers Wall Street as a financial journalist for Marketplace and NPR. His debut novel, “The Devil’s Half Mile,” is set on Wall Street — in 1799. The book’s hero is investigating the death of his father, who may have been involved in some shady deals.
Hirsch (@paddyhirsch) joins Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson to talk about the book.
Editor’s Note: The book excerpt below contains some explicit language.
Book Excerpt: ‘The Devil’s Half Mile’
by Paddy Hirsch
Monday
Justy Flanagan leaned on the gunwale of the Netherleigh and watched two big men square up to each other on the wharf below. They were like a pair of cart horses, one black, the other white, their fellows in a half circle behind them, grim looks on their faces.
“How goes the negotiations?” Lars Hokkanssen leaned on the rail. He was a giant of a man, with a shaved head and a ragged red beard. Justy was six feet tall, which meant he saw over the heads of most men, but the Netherleigh’s first mate was nearly a foot taller, and wider. His build and his name came from his Norwegian father. His red hair, his Galway accent and his politics were all courtesy of his mother.
“Negotiations?” Justy asked.
Lars gave him an amused look. “How long is it you’ve been away?”
“Four years.”
