01-05-2009, 11:51 AM
Dennis Lehane set out to write the serious novel. The Given Day is the result. You might know the name best from Mystic River or Shutter Island. He also wrote the novel behind Gone, Baby, Gone. But he wants to get away from the potboilers. Lehane says those are a younger man's game. Oh, well.
I seemed to be spending a lot of time in the early 20th century with my reading. First with the Goddard books, now with The Given Day. But I'm in Boston in the 20's rather than England. Mr. Lehane loves him his home town and he does depict it really well.
The Given Day tells the story of the Couglin family. Captain Thomas, beatcop Danny, ADA Connor and teenager Joe. It sets against the back drop of unionism and civil rights. At the time, joining a union would be akin to joining a terrorist group. This especially so if you want to unionize the police force. Danny ends up joining a group called the Boston Social club that wants to do just that. Thomas, a less than clean Police captain, is less than happy when this happens.
All the historical figures of the age show up. At the time Babe Ruth is playing baseball for the Red Sox. Hoover is in town with the Bureau of Investigation looking into the subversive union activity. WEB Dubois is helping start a chapter of the NAACP. And the Spanish Influenza arrives with a couple of soldier and proceeds to kill most of the town.
It all leads up to when the Police Force goes on strike and it's aftermath. It also echoes our time nicely what with the suspension of civil liberties and the thought that everyone is a terrorists.
We also have Luther to show how African Americans are fairing in the early part of the 20th century. He plays Baseball with Babe Ruth in the beginning and ends up befriending the Coughlins at the end.
If you like slice of life Historical depictions and have a deep fascination with Boston and want to know more about Union and Communist activities, I'd say give it a read.
I seemed to be spending a lot of time in the early 20th century with my reading. First with the Goddard books, now with The Given Day. But I'm in Boston in the 20's rather than England. Mr. Lehane loves him his home town and he does depict it really well.
The Given Day tells the story of the Couglin family. Captain Thomas, beatcop Danny, ADA Connor and teenager Joe. It sets against the back drop of unionism and civil rights. At the time, joining a union would be akin to joining a terrorist group. This especially so if you want to unionize the police force. Danny ends up joining a group called the Boston Social club that wants to do just that. Thomas, a less than clean Police captain, is less than happy when this happens.
All the historical figures of the age show up. At the time Babe Ruth is playing baseball for the Red Sox. Hoover is in town with the Bureau of Investigation looking into the subversive union activity. WEB Dubois is helping start a chapter of the NAACP. And the Spanish Influenza arrives with a couple of soldier and proceeds to kill most of the town.
It all leads up to when the Police Force goes on strike and it's aftermath. It also echoes our time nicely what with the suspension of civil liberties and the thought that everyone is a terrorists.
We also have Luther to show how African Americans are fairing in the early part of the 20th century. He plays Baseball with Babe Ruth in the beginning and ends up befriending the Coughlins at the end.
If you like slice of life Historical depictions and have a deep fascination with Boston and want to know more about Union and Communist activities, I'd say give it a read.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit