"Lehane's grit meets Springsteen's heart. Falco writes like someone who has lived every mile of Mass Ave after midnight. A staggering debut."
MD
Mark Donahue
Southie Gazette
Reader Reports
Wall of Voices
Critics, readers, and lifelong Bostonians on Anthony J. Falco's debut novel.
4.9
Write a Review★★★★★
287 ratings
"A debut that punches above its weight class."
— Boston Sunday Edition
"The Hemmy Park code will stay with you long after the last page."
— Reader's Pulse
"Cinematic. Aching. Unmistakably Boston."
— The Charles River Review
"A visceral, haunting look at friendship. As a Boston native, the atmosphere was so thick I could practically smell the salt water and hear the T rumbling."
JR
Jameson R.
Verified Reader
"Falco captures the complexities of fatherhood with a grit that most authors are too afraid to touch. I finished it in two sittings and called my dad after."
ST
Sarah T.
Literary Critic
"Gritty, real, and heartbreaking. The Hemmy Park crew feels like family by the end. A phenomenal debut from a writer who clearly lived this story."
ML
Mark L.
Goodreads Reviewer
"The music references alone are worth the price of admission. It's a love letter to a version of Boston that's quickly fading away."
JL
James Lowery
Verified Reader
"Tough, loud, and tender in the right places. The chapters about the daughters wrecked me. Falco doesn't flinch."
ES
Elena S.
Boston Literary Review
Lived It? Tell Us.