"Golden Hill" by Francis Spufford

Golden Hill is a historical fiction novel set in New York in 1746. A stranger arrives from London and shows up on the doorstep of a counting house with an order for one thousand pounds, a huge amount of money for such a small place as colonial New York. Mr. Lovell the owner of the counting house is rightfully suspicious and makes the stranger (Mr. Smith) wait a few months until his order can be confirmed. Thus, Smith finds himself temporarily stuck in town without any ability to transact his business and travel along. His precarious position is further exacerbated by the fact that most of his cash is stolen on his first walk through town. Now he has no choice but lodge and board on credit and hope that his order will be confirmed and paid as planned.

Through the eyes of Mr. Smith, the reader gets acquainted with the local society, their customs, gossip and intrigues. Mr. Smith gradually albeit unwillingly gets embroiled in the local politics and goes through a series of crazy ups and downs from being thrown into a local jail to being celebrated as someone whose influence and means could sway the power balance in New York.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was a bit slow, but then about midway through the novel, the events start moving at a rollercoaster speed with a seemingly unending succession of unexpected twists and turn along the way. For a while, the reader along with the citizens of New York, keeps wondering whether Mr. Smith is a fraud. Once that question is answered, we are still kept in the dark as to his true purpose in town. He does not reveal it to anyone until the very end of the novel. And even after the big reveal, the reader has another surprise awaiting them in the very last chapter of the book.

I definitely liked all the unexpected events and surprising reveals that happen in the story. I also really enjoyed learning about the colonial New York of 1746. The book is filled with references to the city’s Dutch roots and provides interesting insights into the religious, social and administrative customs and arrangements of the day.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. I read an advanced reader’s copy provided by Netgalley.