Peter Quinn Standalone Novels books in order

Reading order

Banished Children of Eve is Peter Quinn’s standalone historical novel set in New York City during the Civil War. The book takes place in the days leading up to the 1863 Draft Riots, the largest civil insurrection in American history aside from the Civil War itself, and follows a large cast of characters from every level of the city’s social hierarchy.

The novel’s characters include an Irish-American hustler, a corrupt Yankee stockbroker, an immigrant serving girl, and a mulatto actress, alongside real historical figures such as Archbishop “Dagger John” Hughes and songwriter Stephen Foster. Quinn, who worked for many years as a corporate speechwriter and editor at Time Warner, drew on deep research into 19th-century New York to build a story that won the 1995 American Book Award. The title comes from the “Salve Regina” prayer, reflecting the Irish immigrant experience at the heart of the novel.