At the heart of Union Atlantic lies a test of wills between a retired history teacher, Charlotte Graves—who has suddenly begun to hear her two dogs speaking to her in the voices of Cotton Mather and Malcolm X—and an ambitious young banker, Doug Fanning, who is building an ostentatious mansion on what was once Charlotte’s family land. Drawn into the conflict is Nate Fuller, a troubled high-school student who stirs powerful emotions in both of them. What emerges is a riveting story of financial power, the defense of tradition, and the distortions of desire these forces create. With remarkable scope and precision, Union Atlantic delivers a striking vision of the violent, anxious world we’ve come to inhabit.Joe says:
"Now out in paperback, Union Atlantic is not to be missed. Doug Fanning is a young banker at Union Atlantic, doing very well for himself. He has purchased a mini-mansion next door to Charlotte Graves, a retired schoolteacher who has begun to talk to her dogs. She is tutoring Nate Fuller, a trouble high school senior who gets involved with Doug Fanning. Charlotte's brother (an in some ways, her protector), Henry Graves, is the president of the New York Federal Reserve, who must investigate the bank, Union Atlantic. In ever-tightening circles, the lives of these four enmesh, pulling the reader down into a taut spiral of emotion and surprisingly tense economic drama. I was surprised by this book: I, in general, do not care how our monetary system works, just so it does. But Haslett does a great job of showing why I should care about the workings of the system, and proves it to be a fascinating subject. This is a complex, compelling, sensual and emotionally-wrought tale, written with authority and talent. One of my favorite books of 2010, and one I plan on reading again soon."
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