Think Downton Abbey, set in the heart of Boston Irish domestic worker Norah King’s decision to ask her wealthy employer, Caroline Parker, for an elegant red coat that the Beacon Hill matriarch has marked for donation ignites a series of events that neither woman could have fathomed. The unlikely exchange will impact their respective daughters and families for generations to come, from the coat’s … come, from the coat’s original owner, marriage-minded collegian Cordelia Parker, to the determined and spirited King sisters of South Boston, Rosemary, Kay, and Rita. As all of these young women experience the realities of life – love and loss, conflict and joy, class prejudices and unexpected prospects – the red coat reveals the distinction between cultures, generations, and landscapes in Boston during the 1940s and 50s, a time of change, challenge, and opportunity.
Meet the proud, working-class Irish and staid, upper-class Brahmins through the contrasting lives of these two families and their friends and neighbors. See how the Parkers and the Kings each overcome sudden tragedy with resolve and triumph. And witness the profound impact of a mother’s heart on her children’s souls. Carlson brings us front and center with her knowing weave of Celtic passion – both tragic and joyful – words of wisdom, romance, humor, and historical events. Dive into Boston feet first! The Red Coat is a rich novel that chronicles the legacy of Boston from both sides of the city, Southie and the Hill.
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I loved this book. I want to re-read it because it would be like visiting friends!
The Red Coat is an inspiring tale of Irish immigrants; it is a great American story that affirms the lives and honors the sacrifices of all the immigrants who have made and continue to make this country great.
The Red Coat is a smashing read, a sweeping look at the ever-changing fortunes of a Southie Irish family struggling in the New World but also depicting the Beacon Hill family with whom they become strangely intertwined because of a red coat. Author Dolley Carlson knows Southie as few writers do and brings that Irish enclave to life both historically and in modern times in all it’s tattered glory. A must-read for Americans who wonder about the lives, the trials, and the triumphs their predecessors lived through. It’s all here in The Red Coat.
The Red Coat vividly captures the nuances of Irish-Catholic life in mid-20th-century America. Reminiscent of a family-oriented Last Hurrah, the novel is full of the quirks of the Irish, wonderfully brought to life by Dolley Carlson, an extraordinarily gifted storyteller who gets hold of the reader and won’t let go.
The only good thing about this book was the cover by Dan McCole. The author just went on and on and on and on .. it was worse that a 3rd grade composition.
Charming!
This book was WONDERFUL!! The author threaded different stories together so beautifully. It made me nostalgic for times long past.
I tried several times, but could not get interested in it.
Nice twists and well written.
I was a bit disappointed in the fact that the Red Coat was not as pivotal as promised in the summary.
The book was written for those who grew up in or around Boston or who had parents who grew up in or around Boston. The setting has all of the more recognizable landmarks. Reading it will take yo to Boston as it once was.
I’ve written to the author, requesting a sequel.
Hard to read how women were treated, but I know it’s true for it’s time..
Good story but too much detail.
A slice of what it was like to be Irish Catholic in Boston in the 40s and beyond.
Good understanding of Southie. Not quite smooth integration of history & Catholic tenets. Hard lives, generally happy & blessed because you made them so.
too predictable and slow
Really shows we never know the impact what we do has on others. The characters were so relatable- I felt their joy and hope as well as their disappointment and struggle.
great reading, true to life
Best book I have read since I can remember. The characters came alive on the page for me. I am not a Catholic, but was so impressed by the faith and the way these Irish immigrants lived their lives …also gave a loving look at growing up and living in Boston in the 40’s and 50’s. Just a jewel of a book about “the diamond days.”