Audiobook16 hours
The Red Coat: A Novel of Boston
Written by Dolley Carlson
Narrated by Christina Delaine
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
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 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.
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 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.
Author
Dolley Carlson
Dolley Carlson is a third-generation Irish American with Southie roots and the daughter of one of Boston's finest - BPD - Boston Police Department. The author of four non-fiction books, The Red Coat - A Novel of Boston is her latest work and first novel. She currently lives in Irvine, California.
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Reviews for The Red Coat
Rating: 3.666666638888889 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
18 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This novel had a pretty good pace and lots of interesting history of Boston. More interesting for me because the main family were Irish as I am. I would have given it another star but the ending fell flat for me.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Just the thing to read when you have a mild cold and a cat.Not memorable but comfortingly predictable tale of a big "downstairs" Irish immigrant family living in Boston and interacting with the "upstairs" society Brahmans. The stresses and strains between Old World parents and their New World offspring when there's never enough money and Pa likes his whiskey contribute to the conflict. Absolutely, definitely, and inarguably "chic lit."
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Red Coat is the story of a first generation Irish American family. It is a must read for any Irish American who grew up in South Boston.