The Red Coat: A Novel of Boston
In 1940s and 1950s Boston, a red coat is so much more than a pretty outer covering. Norah King is a cleaning lady for one of the city’s Brahmin families. When she sees her employer, Caroline Parker, giving away some clothing, Norah swallows her shame or pride, depending on your point of view, and asks for this glorious red coat for her daughter, Rosemary. Norah is a young Irish immigrant who works beyond endurance to keep her family of a difficult husband and nine children looking clean, neat, and appropriate. Her husband also works hard, but as time passes, his love of drinking and abusive dominance over his family become frighteningly unbearable. The King family represents those Irish immigrants striving to achieve success through hard work and their fiercely strong Roman Catholic faith, with its high standards. Norah, its admirable leader, serves as a foil to those whose bigoted opinions would forever tarnish the Irish, although their prejudice against Italians and other nationalities belies some of their so-called purity. With modernity, however, comes the turning tide of Irish beliefs and standards. The high-class Parker family suffers many misfortunes and losses.
The essence of this challenging, complex, and opportunistic plot is what propels people to immigrate and achieve the American dream of success, fame and fortune. The reader will become totally engaged in each family member’s efforts to climb the ladder of success amid love, heartache, tragedy, and wisdom as Norah’s legacy lives on in different dreams. Beautiful, passionate, fiercely protective, and profoundly moving characters exist in this admirable work of historical fiction.
