Leon A. Harris’ Merchant Princes is a sweeping novel set in nineteenth century New York City. It tells the story of the diverse, interdependent lives of an unlikely family of opportunists and adventurers. In this vibrant, vivid world, ambition, friendship, loyalty, and love exist side-by-side with tragedy, heartache, betrayal, and regret.
The story begins in the summer of 1863. David Harris is a young man of seventeen. His mother, a hard-working Jewish immigrant, has managed to scrape together enough money to send him to school. But David is restless, and yearning for something more. With dreams of becoming a successful merchant in New York City, he quits school and sets out to make his fortune.
He begins his venture as an alley barrowman on the docks, where he soon attracts the attention of Simon Stern, an old-world merchant prince and owner of a successful dry goods shipping business. Stern bargains with David for a percentage of the profits for any goods David sells. Together, the two of them are able to turn a quick profit.
Despite his newfound wealth and position, David remains humble and generous. He sponsors new immigrants to the city, establishing a tight-knit family of merchants in the process. In time, he confronts the harsh reality of city life and discovers deep-seated moral complexities. As his family grows bigger, David is further threatened by the rising wages of Jewish immigrants and the regulation of the labor market.
The success of David and his fellow immigrants is soon complicatedby the rise of an unscrupulous rival, a shadowy figure known only as the Boss. The Boss is determined to take control of the business and put an end to David and his family’s prosperity. In the process, he unleashes a secret war between the immigrant and native merchant classes. Will David survive the looming conflict and protect his family’s hard-earned legacy?
Full of vivid and compelling historical detail, Merchant Princes is a captivating and thought-provoking look at the complicated paths of New York City’s first Jews. Leon A. Harris skillfully weaves together a complex network of characters, who reveal the subtle details of social and economic change in the city. At its core, Merchant Princes is a story of ambition, perseverance, and the inner resilience necessary to overcome adversity. It is an entertaining and moving testimony to the power of the human spirit.
