This Side of Brightness

Colum McCann's "This Side of Brightness" masterfully weaves a multi-generational narrative rooted in the subterranean world of New York City. The story begins in the early 20th century with Nathan Walker, a Black man from Georgia who becomes a 'sandhog,' risking his life to dig the tunnels beneath the East River. Amidst the perilous work and racial divides, a spectacular accident forges an unbreakable, yet complex, bond among the diverse group of sandhogs—a legacy that will both bless and curse their descendants for decades. Seventy years later, the narrative shifts to Treefrog, a homeless man haunted by a shameful past, who endures a harsh winter in the city's underbelly. His gritty existence, marked by scavenging and desperate survival, offers a stark contrast to the historical labor of Walker. Through McCann's intricate plotting, these two seemingly disparate lives and timelines fuse, revealing a powerful tale of family, race, love, loss, and the enduring quest for redemption against the backdrop of an ever-changing New York.