Michael Caissie’s novel Between Heaven & 42nd And Broadway follows Paul, a war veteran and struggling writer, as he navigates through crime-driven New York City in the 1970s. Despite his best efforts and numerous attempts to write a manuscript, Paul cannot find anyone to believe in his work enough to fund it. Desperate to make something of himself and be a successful breadwinner for his wife and daughter, he accepts an offer to distribute drugs for cash. However, while the novel begins with Paul emphasising a clear conscience, he quickly gets trapped in the violent realities that come with dealing drugs, leading him down a destructive path. 

Caissie’s ability to portray Paul as a non-perfect protagonist helps to emphasize to readers the genuinity of the story. Since the story is told from Paul’s perspective, readers are aware that he has good intentions, even though he commits many serious crimes and endangers those he loves dearly. It is almost easy to forgive Paul since we know that deep down his heart is in the right place, whereas it’s easier to assume others who commit the same crimes are evil because we don’t know their true intentions. Caissie thus begs the question: would we be more forgiving of people’s bad choices if we knew their background? To answer, Caissie puts forth an effort to humanize even the most dangerous of people. True to real life, many dangerous figures that Paul encounters throughout the story, such as prostitutes, gangs, and drug lords, have traumatic backgrounds that led them to such drastic lifestyles. Even the hoodlum who killed an old man and sexually assaulted a female is humanized in his death as he begs Paul to stay with him just so that he does not die alone. 

Between Heaven & 42nd And Broadway is a great novel for anyone interested in crime stories or historical fiction. Due to the graphic and sexual nature of this novel, it is geared towards a more mature audience. Although some elements of this story might be hard to digest, the unique way that Caissie sheds light on real-life struggles while also providing an entertaining fictional plot is well worth the read. 

ABOUT EMILY MCDERMOTT

Emily is a recent graduate of  Bridgewater State University where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Literature. While at Bridgewater State, Emily worked in the Academic Achievement Center as a writing consultant where she helped enrolled students with any stage of the writing process. Being in this position helped Emily realize that working as an editor might be something she could see herself doing as a career. Currently, she is employed for a small business in her hometown of Bridgewater, MA while actively searching for jobs within the publishing field. She spends most of her free time reading books, playing with her dogs Neely and Kevin, going on coffee runs with her friends, and watching the Bruins with her dad. 

Discover more from

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.