Arroyo by Chip Jacobs

PUBLISHER: RARE BIRD BOOKS

PUB DATE: 15th OCTOBER 2019

AUTHOR: CHIP JACOBS

SYNOPSIS

Set against two distinct epochs in the history of Pasadena, California, Arroyo tells the parallel stories of a young inventor and his clairvoyant dog in 1913 and 1993. In both lives, they are drawn to the landmark Colorado Street Bridge, or "Suicide Bridge," as the locals call it, which suffered a lethal collapse during construction but still opened to fanfare in the early twentieth century automobile age. When the refurbished structure commemorates its 80th birthday, one of the planet's best known small towns is virtually unrecognizable from its romanticized, and somewhat invented, past.

Wrought with warmth and wit, Jacobs' debut novel digs into Pasadena's most mysterious structure and the city itself. In their exploits around what was then America's highest, longest roadway, Nick Chance and his impish mutt interact with some of the big personalities from the Progressive Age, including Teddy Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, Charles Fletcher Lummis, and Lilly and Adolphus Busch, whose gardens were once tabbed the "eighth wonder of the world." They cavort and often sow chaos at Cawston Ostrich Farm, the Mount Lowe Railway, the Hotel Green and even the Doo Dah Parade. But it's the secrets and turmoil around the concrete arches over the Arroyo Seco, and what it means for Nick's destiny, that propels this story of fable versus fact.

While unearthing the truth about the Colorado Street Bridge, in all its eye-catching grandeur and unavoidable darkness, the characters of Arroyo paint a vivid picture of how the home of the Rose Bowl got its dramatic start.  

REVIEW

I was intrigued by this book and the story surrounding the famous and beautiful Pasadena, California “Colorado Street Bridge” also known by the locals as the “Suicide Bridge” where many lives were lost. As a long-time resident of Southern California and living only a few blocks from the bridge where I pass it by multiple times a day, I knew that this book by Chip Jacobs ARROYO would be a fantastic read. Part Historical Fiction and part Magical Realism this was a very creative story of learning the fascinating history surrounding the Arroyo Seco, and the surrounding San Gabriel Foothills and the Sierra Madre range through this fictional tale. I certainly learned a lot about the famous names that were either residents or have influenced Pasadena in some way such as Teddy Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, Charles Fletcher Lummis, and Lilly and Adolphus Busch (Busch Gardens and Budweiser) to name a few.

I enjoyed how the story begins and is seen through the eyes of Nick Chance and his very unusual dog who saves his life which he calls Royo, in 1913. In a parallel timeline 80 years later in 1993, the story connects back to the famous bridge in a very interesting way. I thought the writing was very creative with beautiful prose that took me back to the early days when Pasadena was just developing and the residents that built the city to what it is today. I loved that the landmarks I know well now and how it started back in the day and to see some of the places still present to this day was remarkable to me. One of the places mentioned was Vroman’s which is an amazing independent bookstore that I frequent, and to know that it was already a part of Pasadena’s history since the early 1900’s was pretty amazing. I loved that the author also mentioned one of my favorite hang outs “Pie ‘n Burger” and the Colorado Blvd shops, and many famous names that I merely know now as famous streets in Pasadena, which now gives meaning and understanding.

We all know something about Pasadena, whether it’s from the Beach Boys song “Little old lady from Pasadena”, or have seen the famous Rose Parade every New Year, or have watched the football games at the Rose Bowl. I highly recommend this book for a great historical fiction read that is a delight and will capture your interest.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

Chip Jacobs is an award-winning author and journalist. His most recent book is his debut novel, Arroyo, historical fiction set around construction of Pasadena, California's mysterious Colorado Street Bridge. His other books include the biography Strange As It Seems: the Impossible Life of Gordon Zahler; the environmental social histories The People's Republic of Chemicals and the international bestselling Smogtown: the Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles (both with William K. Kelly); the dark-humor, true crime caper The Ascension of Jerry; and the stories collection The Vicodin Thieves. He also has contributed pieces to anthologies, most recently for the bestselling Los Angeles in the 1970s: Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine about the attack on an idealist lawyer by a depraved cult. His reporting has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Daily News, CNN, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and LA Weekly, among other outlets.

Jacobs’ writing has been honored, among others, by the Independent Publishers’ Book Awards (IPPY), the Indies Book of the Year contest, Foreword and Booklist magazines (for starred reviews and top books in genre), The Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, the Southern California Book Festival, the Shanghai Book Awards, and as a Chinese “Most Influential” and “Outstanding Popular Science” book. Jacobs and his subjects have appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Marketplace Radio, Slate, Wired, NPR-syndicate stations, C-Span, Politifact and elsewhere. He lives in Southern California.