Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Hackett at Large: Tales from a Reporter's Life in Paris 1961–1968 by Jack Fitzgerald is set in bustling Paris, where seasoned journalist Benjamin J. Hackett impresses his boss Geoffrey Hawkins with his quirky column, "An American in Paris." The Washington Tribune endeavors to secure an exclusive interview with President Kennedy, resulting in frantic efforts but ultimate success by the “Trib Trio,” Hackett, Hawkins, and the green but eager reporter, Kit. Professional accolades are weighed down by personal conflict, including some serious stink-eye from the disapproving mother of his girlfriend, Mary, whom he intends to marry. Still, the investigative work, though fraught with turbulence tied to a late senator, impresses. Through vignettes, Hackett interviews notable personalities like Sinatra, Brando, and the Beatles, and holds deep conversations with Maurice Rigault and Jack Kerouac, but when a humorous column about Twiggy sparks global outrage, Hackett's standing with the public becomes precarious.

"For one memorable moment, Benjamin J. Hackett was the fifth Beatle." Hackett at Large by Jack Fitzgerald is a delightful book that, while described as a collection of short stories, really does read straight through like a novel. Fitzgerald does an excellent job of building the electricity of Paris through the eyes of Hackett, an American born in Queens, and making it transcend the page for the reader. I particularly loved the scene where Hackett is with the Beatles and the chaotic scene outside the George V Hotel in Paris, with ecstatic fans screaming for the Beatles—I felt that frenzy and excitement. I also really liked that Hackett's backstory and relationship with Mary are interspersed throughout. The interviews and the hunt for the next big story are fantastically portrayed, but his journey, where he came from as an orphan to Paris and to a woman worth fighting for, makes him relatable and makes you care about him. Overall, this is a well-written, comfortably compact piece of historical fiction with a bit of romance and bags of charm. Very highly recommended.