In this meaty, two-volume epic novel AN ABUNDANCE OF DEVILS (1900-1910), the kind People of New York City, heady with the "scientific charity" of the Progressive Era, foist ragamuffin Odie Hart into harrowing circumstances. Little Odie deals with New York slag and cream, eventually landing at the New York Parental School in Flushing, New York, far from "Eden," way out on the terminal moraine of Queens. Intended to eliminate warehousing of "bad boys," this real institution quickly gives way to terror and fear. Odie's spirited gang of unforgettable mugs takes us on hair-raising adventures through rat-infested tunnels. They battle Dickensian surrogate parents and amuse themselves with devilment at their peril. This picaresque novel leaps off the page with atmosphere and startling twists on real news events and high jinks. Book One is subtitled "Just West of the Terminal Moraine," and Book Two is subtitled "Just East of Eden," a white-knuckle ride for armchair historians.