The American Way

“The American Way reads like a Michael Chabon novel inspired by a Billy Wilder or Ernst Lubitsch movie, only all the more remarkable because every bit—the plot twists and coincidences, the thrills and chills—is true. It’s a fresh, intimate tale of immigrants reimagining their lives, the invention of superheroes, resistance to fascism, and sketchy mid-century bebop glamour. Such a pleasure!” —Kurt Andersen, New York Times bestselling author of Fantasyland“In this vivid, surprising, and entertaining book, Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler take us straight into the heart of what Henry Luce called ‘the American Century’ in an improbable but true tale of the rise of comics, of Hollywood, and of New York, a tale of immigrants and Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. Illuminating and engaging, The American Way is a story you couldn’t make up—but thankfully, you don’t have to, because here it is.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Soul of America“A necessary and beautifully told story of struggle, compassion and serendipity that reaches out to us across the generations.” —Forbes“A fast-moving American epic with a cast of refugees and starlets, publishers and bootleggers, comic-book creators and sports legends.” —The Washington Post“Warmhearted and lyrical, Stapinski and Siegler trace a refugee family from Nazi Berlin whose narrow escapes, clever deceptions, hard work, dumb luck, and bottomless dreams are as iconic as the great American myths they touched.” —Sarah Rose, national bestselling author of D-Day Girls“Colorful. Punchy. Stapinski and Siegler stitched together a cast of… figures and events from several recurring threads: Jewishness, New Yorkiness and, as their title indicates, a singular, striving, midcentury Americanness.” —The New York Times Book Review“A sweeping, factual saga that reads like an adventure novel.” —ABC World News Now“Inventively structured, ceaselessly surprising and ultimately spirits-boosting…. [Stapinski and Siegler] write with a zippiness and awe befitting tales of superheroism by the caped and capeless alike.” —Shelf Awareness“Amazing… stories are told here with verve, grace and compassion.” — The Jerusalem Post“An extremely fun read.” —PRINT Magazine

Helene Stapinski is the nationally bestselling author of three memoirs: Five-Finger Discount, Murder in Matera, and Baby Plays Around. She writes regularly for The New York Times; her work has also appeared in The Washington Post, New York magazine, Travel & Leisure, and dozens of other publications. She teaches at New York University and lives in Brooklyn.

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