Chris Birdy's Blog - Posts Tagged "dennis-lehane"

An excellent picture of life in Boston after WWI. The Boston Brahmins rule while the Irish, Italians and Blacks scrape and claw their way up the social ladder. The minorities are treated like expendable, easily replaceable chattel. Some of the Irish inch their way to the grand table through graft and corruption, others by trying to organize against all-powerful employers. The impoverished Italians prefer anarchy while the Blacks serve the whites and detest them.
The book is disturbing at times but so well-written the reader will get to the end and look for more.

After finishing The Given Day, I was compelled to start reading Live by Night which continues where the first story leaves off. Joe Coughlin, the youngest son of a Boston police captain, dropped out of high school and began his career as a criminal with two Italian brothers. The story follows Joe's bullet-ridden assent as he rises to the top of the underworld. He is almost beaten to death, shot, and shunned; but he just keeps moving upward. This story starts with the Boston crime bosses then moves on to the Tampa area where alcohol flows northward during prohibition. The story is captivating, educational and addictive. I'm anxiously awaiting the third book's release.