Grace of the Empire State

In Tizzard’s page-turning debut, a dancer makes the gutsy move of taking her twin brother’s place as a riveter at the new Empire State Building construction site. It’s the beginning of the Great Depression, and the O’Connells are facing hard times after their father’s death in a shipping container accident. Their younger sister, Connie, suffers from severe asthma, and Grace loses her job when her dance hall shuts down. Things come to a head when Grace’s twin, Patrick, the family breadwinner, breaks his arm on the job. Grace’s past work as a circus tightrope walker, along with her dance skills, give her the balance and élan she needs to work on the skycraper. Patrick’s team of four are in on the subterfuge and counting on Grace to pull it off, because if one team member is injured, the whole team is out of work. Then a near tragedy occurs on the job site and Grace is faced with an ethical dilemma, in which doing the right thing would force her to reveal her identity. The plot tips into melodrama, but Tizzard evocatively depicts the workers’ camaraderie and the breathtaking dangers they face. Readers will love this tale of derring-do. (Jan.)