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Boston 1919 comes alive

December 3rd, 2008 Mary K. - Central

Dennis Lehane’s new book The Given Day, is historical fiction that truly brings an era from our past alive, in this case Boston in 1919. This long and engrossing book left me wanting to read more about this very turbulent time. Many of the events that occurred still impact our lives today.

Lehane skillfully weaves real life events into his character’s fictional lives. There are several plots threads, including the story of the Coughlin family, beginning with Thomas who is an Irish emigree, and including his three sons. Thomas is a captain in the primarily Irish police force, and his son Danny is also a police officer, but has taken a very different career path and is a leader in the fledgling union, known as the social club. Luther Lawrence, another main character, is a black man on the run from a crime he committed in Tulsa. And Nora is the Coughlin’s housemaid who has also run away from a grim life in Ireland.

This was a turbulent time in American history: there was unemployment, police corruption, labor unrest, anarchists, the influenza epidemic, sweatshops, and a wide class divide. The intertwined stories all lead to the Boston police strike, which ends the book. The life of a police officer with its less than ideal working conditions is depicted in great detail. When the police strike, the city quickly deteriorates into chaos and anarchy.

The Given Day is a departure from Lehane’s other excellent books, two of which have been made into great movies (Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone). Not surprisingly, The Given Day is going to be made into a movie as well, to be released in 2010. Lehane has clearly mastered historical fiction as well as the suspense novel. We will just have to wait to see what direction this gifted author will go in next.

Entry Filed under: Historical Fiction