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    The Given Day
    The Given Day
    The Given Day
    Audiobook23 hours

    The Given Day

    Written by Dennis Lehane

    Narrated by Michael Boatman

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River and Shutter Island, comes the paperback edition of The Given Day, an unflinching family epic that captures the political unrest of a nation caught between a well-patterned past and an unpredictable future. This beautifully written novel of American history tells the story of two families—one black, one white—swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power at the end of World War I.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 28, 2008
    ISBN9780061802782
    The Given Day
    Author

    Dennis Lehane

    Dennis Lehane is the author of thirteen novels—including the New York Times bestsellers Live by Night; Moonlight Mile; Gone, Baby, Gone; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and The Given Day—as well as Coronado, a collection of short stories and a play. He grew up in Boston, MA and now lives in California with his family.

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    Reviews for The Given Day

    4.5/5

    93 ratings76 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Given Day is a true to life novel using the formation of the Boston Policeman's Union to discuss the political climate in post WWI Boston. Ethnicities are pitted against each other - Irish police vs protestant government agents, various American immigrants who see other immigrants as unamerican, Irish against Blacks and Italians. There's a fledgling J. Edgar Hoover and his quest to route out communists, bomb throwing anarchists, the beginning of the NAACP, capitalist oppression of the masses, and Babe Ruth - not near enough Babe Ruth, every part with him in it is a winner. Though fiction and set in a time 90 years ago, the story is completely topical with the events and feelings of today.
    • 5/5
      This was one of those books that I raced through, and then immediately started missing the characters as soon as I was done. But I'm sure we'll be seeing them again; Luther, after all, was left in Greenwood in 1919, just two years before the Tulsa Race Riot. It will be interesting to see what Lehane does with that.
    • 5/5
      Wow. They don't get much better than this, so 5 stars it is. So when's the movie coming out? : )
    • 5/5
      I’m a big Lehane fan, so it really wasn’t a surprise that Early Reviewers choose me to read and review this book. I love the way Lehane writes, so this was a huge love-in for me with 700+ pages of story.Someone is bound to call it “sweeping” because it feels sweeping, but it’s not. It’s a microcosm of two men set in 1918-1919 Boston. I grew up outside of Boston 50 years after this novel was set, but I can speak to it’s authority, change came slow to New England in those days and much was still the same 50 years later.This book was a real change and gamble for Lehane, with the exception of Shutter Island (set in 1954) all of his novels have been set in a present, yet undefined, time. This gamble pays off in spades, as it is apparent even without looking at his acknowledged source material, that he’s done extensive homework. Yet his writing stays true and the turns of phase that I love are still present now regarding the beginnings of unions, baseball, anarchists, Massachusetts political twists and turns, race, love, family, particularly Irish family, and changing attitudes towards all of the above.Quote:“This country,” his father said, with one of the many smiles in his collection, this time the wry one. “Everyone thinks it’s okay to hire on for work but then sit down when that work turns out to be hard.”The primary focus is on Luther, a black man who comes to Boston on the run from Elsewhere, and Danny Coughlin and the rest of his family. The characterization is masterful, but most successful in the Irish characters. The plot moves right along with just the right amount of twists and turns. It’s an absorbing page-turner even at 700 pages.I almost completely and wholeheartedly loved this book I re-read Mystic River once a year, and now I’ll be re-reading both Mystic River and The Given Day once a year. I only have two nit picks and they’re small ones. There are people who are blessed with an ability to “read” other people with an ease that awes the rest of us, but they’re rare. You’re lucky to find one of these people in a lifetime, but there are easily 3, maybe 4 of these people in this book. It stretches the credibly a bit. Also, I could have done without the Babe Ruth bits, but I guess if you’re talking about Boston at that time, you HAVE to mention Babe Ruth. I don’t find them particularly interesting or successful and they slow the pace down a little.
    • 5/5
      A richly multi-layered, substantial story about Boston in 1919. Police unrest, unions, racial tension, murder...this book has it all. When I opened the book, it was daunting...700+ pages seemed overwhelming and I wasn't sure I would get through it all. Next thing I knew, I was halfway through and totally absorbed in the story. I finished in a much shorter time period than I thought possible.Dennis Lehane is one of my favorite authors. This is not his normal genre (historical fiction), but it was better than I expected. The book was simply outstanding. A finely crafted story with wonderful characters that I will not soon forget.This book is a must-read. Don't worry about the length of the book. After the first 25 pages, you'll be hooked. I hated for it to end.
    • 4/5
      I've been a union activist all of my adult life and found the historic framework with respect to the trade union movement and politics to be compelling. 2013 is the 100th anniversary of many of the historic social actions that are a backdrop and a part of the story being told.

      There was a definite sense, though, that I was reading about the future to come as well as the past that had been. Worker exploitation, economic inequality, grinding poverty, racism, discrimination, economic power wielded from behind closed doors to control politicians and government institutions -- the past described by Mr. Lehane is closely paralleled by the world in which we now live.

      As for Boston, my next visit to places like the North End will have an entirely new dimension.

      Loved it.
    • 4/5
      A hard look at what life was like before unions, labor laws, and civil rights.
    • 2/5
      What can I say? A novel to read on vacation, perhaps--plot and character driven, historically set immediately post WWI in Boston in a milieu of Irish cops, Italian "anarchists" and African-American supporters of the new NAACP. Leads up to the Boston Police Strike of 1919. Along the way an unlikely friendship develops among Danny Coughlin, an Irish cop, son and godson of two of the most powerful police officers in the department; Nora, housekeeper in the Coughlin household, whose past in Ireland is a tainted one from the Coughlins' perspective and for love of whom Danny accepts banishment from his family; and Luther Lawrence, black baseball-playing wizard from Tulsa, on the run from events that left dead or wounded a powerful drug dealer and his two muscle men. Transitions in the novel are introduced by short chapters focusing on Babe Ruth, the first Home Run king of baseball, who during the period played for the Boston Red Sox. Another big novel that follows all the rules of narrative desire, pushing the reader forward at a relentless pace. Some of the characters are well drawn (Danny & Nora) and others less convincing (Tessa the Terrorist). Lots of male violence (even though the "terrorist" is a woman)and not much of substance to chew over after the novel is finished.
    • 4/5
      Boston in the early 20's. The unizing of the Police Force, some baseball, especially about Babe Ruth, and good story about the Laughlin family.
    • 5/5
      Great epic novel of a brawling Irish boston police family during the turbulent 1920's as the recesiion hits hard and workers thruout the country are increasingly becoming more assertive in demanding fair working conditions, even unionizing to do so at great perils to themselves. Dismayed by Boston's refusal to improve horrendous working conditions for its police, a rising young Pman defies his prominent family and its hierarchy in the PD and after initally agrreeing to become an informer for the BPD brass against union sympathizers and communist agitators he turns against them and becomes a de factor union leader eventually being instrumental in the infamous Boston Police strike. Meanwhile his love for a Irish woman with a tainted pass and his friendship for a black man on the run makes for a moving, dramtic novel of friendship, turbulent politics, family loyalities and eye opening drama of the historical changes happening throughout America microfied in Boston
    • 5/5
      Thoroughly enjoyed this work. Maybe a touch bit long, but really enjoyed the story of family relationships set in Boston in 1917. Was interested in both Irish and African-American viewpoint during the period. Particularly like efforts that have a historical backdrop . Also a baseball fan so the Babe Ruth inclusion was interesting.
    • 5/5
      First rate. A historical novel, careful with the facts, exquisite with his story.
    • 4/5
      A focused, well written historical drama about two families-one black, one white-set during the Boston police strike of 1919. Lehane brings together the themes of race relations, roots of terrorism, and the origin of the American labor movement into an entertaining and moving novel. A very good book disguised as a summer beach read.
    • 3/5
      This took me FOREVER to read. It was good, not my favorite. I never seemed to want to pick it and continue reading, but when I was reading it I enjoyed it.
    • 2/5
      I think Lehane is taking some chances in attempting an important literary novel about historical events. He writes strong and mainly believable characters. He writes some good character sketches - some of his descriptions are vivid and telling. The story is important and intrinsically interesting, and he teaches a great deal about a misunderstood part of American history in a relatively painfree and interesting way. He is obviously passionate about Boston and telling the story of the roots of modern ethnic, economic and racial conflicts. He invokes Clemens, Dreiser and Steinbeck, more than Fitzgerald and more than more recent novelists. This is a strength, tempered by literary weakness.My problems with this novel start with sprawl - it is too long, with false starts and loose ends. The historical setting requires too much explanation, too much didactic narrative. The text is out of time - the characters do not have authentic historical voices. They have transcendental and anachronistic insights into their role and place in history - which weakens the novel. I would call it a flawed success.
    • 4/5
      Dennis LeHane is one of those authors whose books I eagerly look forward to. He can be uneven... some of his things I've disliked, some I've liked, but two, Gone, Baby, Gone, and Mystic River, left me sitting dazed at how good the book was. The Given Day is an epic. I'm not surprised after reading it that it has been a while since he published anything else... the book is long, epic, and rich, and took a lot of research to make it real. The setting is Boston, in 1918 and 1919. It was an eventful time. World War 1 ended, the influenza epidemic happened, there was labor unrest, a red hunt, anarchist and Bolshevik agitation with some violence. The main character is Danny, a policeman and son of a policeman. He is assigned to infiltrate various radical groups, and meanwhile gets involved in a nascent policemen's union. Meanwhile a young black man, Luther, is introduced in a baseball game. Babe Ruth shows up, and some of his team mates, and they play Luther's team. It doesn't add to harmony between the races. Luther, after various unfortunate events, winds up in Boston. The events slowly lead up inexorably to a strike by the Boston police and subsequent riots.The book is about 700 pages long, yet never flags. It is an ambitious work, with a large number of characters, events, and forces. In less capable hands, it would be a mess. But LeHane slowly weaves a rich tapestry, character by character and event by event, until all collide in a cataclysmic event. The characters are astonishingly real and complex.Excellent work.
    • 5/5
      The fact that Dennis Lehane provides the subtitle "A Novel" points to an important issue in contemporary fiction. The idea that there exists something arbitrarily described as "serious literature" and something else usually described as "mysteries" should be simply discarded. This distinction is as meaningless in fiction as it is in cinema. There are simply good and bad works in both. The hierarchy is a fake construct created and maintained by academia and champions of a false idea of fine art and culture. In fact, this distinction is simply a pretentious form of branding, creating a false sense of high purpose and exclusivity available only to an initiate in the cultural priesthood. Lehane asks to be considered as a "serious" writer by noting that this book is a novel, hence not merely a mystery. He shouldn't have to say this - the quality of his work speaks for itself.

      The Given Day and Mystic River are two exceptionally well conceived and written works of fiction. To readers of "serious fiction" I say step up to the table and enjoy the work of a fine writer, whether he is writing "mysteries" or "novels."

      The Given Day is set in Boston during 1918 an extremely eventful year in that city. It features Babe Ruth just prior to his move to the Yankees as an ongoing counterpoint to a narrative that explores the issues of race, terrorism (anarchists), social class, urban politics and labor relations (unions/management) through the prism of an established Irish family (with a police captain as its patriarch) and an emerging African American family (with a young aspiring baseball player who survives as a skilled jack of all trades).It also explores such personal issues as family, responsibility, values, friendship and love.

    • 5/5
      Post World War I Boston and theevents leading up to the 1919 Boston Police Strike. Richly textured and filled w/historical characters, The Given Day is arguably Lehane's best book yet.
    • 5/5
      Lehane has written some chilling books in the noir detective genre. This book is equally as chilling although for different reasons.The end of the 19th century saw the beginnings of organized labor in the US--certainly the beginnings of demands for reduced hours (the 80 hour week was pretty standard) and better pay. Labor unrest continued into the 20th century and gave rise to the labor movement and the beginnings of unions. The post-World War I era saw increased agitation, along with a new phenomenon--the rise of anarchism in the US, carried out by mostly southern and central Europeans immigrants, both legal and illegal.Lehane sets his story in this era. There are two main protagonists: Luther Lawrence, a black man living in Cincinnati who has been laid off from his job at a munitions factory in order to make room for returning (white) veterans, and Danny Coughlin, a Boston policeman, whose immigrant father is a highly respected captain on the force. In addition, there is Babe Ruth--still with the Boston Red Sox, just before his meteoric rise to fame. The book is filled with beautifully-drawn portraits of the working class, poor, immigrants, and politicians of the time. Especially powerful are the African-Americans and their lives in various cities; at that time, there were some enclaves of prosperous, “respectable” black families. And there is the appearance of a lawyer for the Justice Department, a man by the name of John Hoover.What was absolutely fascinating was the history of the anarchist movement in the US at that time. I had no idea it was that strong. Coming from a strong union family, I knew more about the repression of the labor movement, but Lehane goes into great detail about the use of the Boston police as strike breakers.Until the day came--September 9, 1919--when the police themselves went on strike. The description of the days of rioting that followed is surpassed only in the account of the cynicism displayed by the then-governor of Massachusetts, Calvin Coolidge, who went on to become one of the worst Presidents the US has ever had, in a long line of bad Presidents. The consequences of that action reverberated far beyond Boston, and Lehane is brilliant in telling the story.Many other threads are woven in, such as the expansion of the NAACP into Boston and the politically savvy of its leaders. The book is a wealth of tidbits of such historical information; clearly the time was one of tremendous ferment on the social and labor front, and the US responded typically--with repression.Ruth as a protagonist and narration from his point of view is somewhat puzzling, except to give an alternative view of events and the time. But in my opinion, the ending of the book is weakened by his inclusion in the story line. Eliminating the last 5 pages would have strengthened the impact. But that’s a minor complaint. The book is well-written and Lehane is an outstanding story- teller. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Dennis Lehane knows how to tell a gripping story, and his talents are on full display in The Given Day – it’s 720 pages of unbroken, wildly swerving plotting that’s loads of fun to navigate. His chronicle of the 1919 Boston Police Strike is constantly interesting and as immersive as the best historical novels. In addition, he writes confidently in the various voices of the early 20th century, from the black man’s to the Irish police family’s, not to mention Babe Ruth’s. I haven’t come across more believable dialogue in any other novel (that doesn’t have “Cormac McCarthy” on the cover).But while The Given Day is fun and fascinating, it doesn’t offer much beyond the plot. The protagonist, Boston policeman Danny Coughlin, is the kind of stock conflicted hero who can never arouse much empathy in the reader. And while the events leading up to the strike and the strike itself are interesting, the story seems to transcend the mundane and become memorable at only one point—a scene of children flying kites from rooftops during the devastating Spanish flu epidemic. The rest is forgettable brawls and bombings. Which brings up another criticism—for all his skill at plotting and dialogue, his descriptive prose sucks. He simply doesn’t have the capacity for the kind of focused, hyperreal language that a book with this much action demands. Too often I was left out of seemingly exciting scenes by their clumsy execution.None of this is to say The Given Day is a bad book, because it’s one of the better I’ve read in a while. But for all the nights it kept me up burning through its meaty length, the flaws stick out to me now more than the strengths, and it hasn’t grown in my mind the way really brilliant novels do.
    • 4/5
      The Given Day by Dennis LehaneThis book was received from LibraryThing under the Early Reviewers program. As Dennis Lehane went to college in my area, I was very interested in reading his book about the early 1900’s history in Boston, Massachusetts. This writer returns frequently to the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading that takes place every October.There are not enough words to description this historical saga of two families with a side story line of Babe Ruth. This country was built on the backbone of immigrants and it is very sad that the discrimination that is outlined in this book continues until this day.Why are we always so afraid of new people and why do we think we are better than the ones coming after us. So clearly does the writer lay before us the lesson that we can get more accomplished by working together and not trying to screw our neighbor? When will we ever learn that everyone can contribute?How quickly we judge our fellow man by his color, his heritage, and his political beliefs. It was eye opening to read Lehane’s narrative about an Irish policeman Danny Coughlin just trying to make a living but ending up getting involved in the beginnings of a union. The story line of Luther Laurence, a great baseball player who is not allowed to use his talent in a sport much loved by Americans.I liked this book so much, I recommended it to my East Lake Community Library Book Club and it is the book to read for this October. This is a book that makes history alive for the reader.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by Michael Boatman. In the late 1910s, Boston police officers are underpaid, overworked and subject to poor working conditions. Danny, of Irish immigrant parents and his father a higher-up in the police department, leads the charge to unionize the force. Luther is a black man forced to flee the South and his pregnant wife after he kills a gangster. He stays with a family friend while working as a houseboy for Danny's parents and helping build a NAACP office there. He and Danny meet and become friendly. Babe Ruth meets Luther in a pickup game of baseball between the Red Sox and Luther and his friends. Babe is peripherally, if not passionately aware of the labor unrest taking place across the country, but he identifies with the concept of not being paid his worth. The backdrop for these stories is a rowdy, bustling Boston, roiling with the flu pandemic, labor unrest, wartime and struggling immigrants. The novel is rich with atmosphere; you can smell the steaming streets and hear the roar of riots. Actor Michael Boatman's performance elevates the words from the page in a star performance. He adeptly handles the various accents: Italian, Irish, African-American, Boston, Russian.
    • 5/5
      Superbly written history of the Boston Police leading up to their strike, a black man's journey alongside the extreme attitudes of prejudice in his way, and Babe Ruth's travel through it all. My God it made me really hate some people. And to think, it was not that long ago that greed and power...what am I saying, isn't it still so? It makes me even more thankful for Barak Obama and even more hopeful that he will live up to at least some part of his promise. A sample....p. 549Maybe twenty-five thousand faces in Feenway that day, and not a one besides Luther's any darker than the ball. The teams were changing sides after Ruth's line-out to the pitcher, and the round man trotted out to left on his ballerina toes, his shoulders hunched like he was expecting a blow from behind. Luther knew Ruth had seen him, and that the seeing had rattled him. Shame had filled the man's face like it had come from a hose. Luther almost pitied him, but then he remembered the game in Ohio, the way those white boys had soiled its simple beauty and he thought: You don't want to feel shame? Don't do shameful things, white boy.
    • 3/5
      As a Boston native, I enjoyed reading about a period of local history that I'm not as familiar with. The main characters are strong, but I found portions of the plot a bit weak. Just not tied up as tightly as I think it could've been. Overall, an enjoyable read.
    • 5/5
      Great epic novel in the tradition of Ragtime.
    • 2/5


      Surprised how violent this book was.
    • 5/5
      It’s 1917 and Babe Ruth is 24 years old when his train, on its way to his next game, is delayed by mechanical problems. He disembarks and finds a pick-up game of baseball and this begins the story of Luther Laurence and Danny Coughlin, as well as their respective families and friends - not to mention enemies. The story weaves back and forth between Luther and Danny until their stories mesh seamlessly. The author’s detailed description of the times and the atmosphere conveyed rings true, and a cursory search of the internet will reveal to the reader that minor characters really did exist and major events depicted actually did take place. Throughout the novel, Babe Ruth makes several seemingly gratuitous appearances - he doesn’t have much to do with the plot – but it’s interesting to see the sometimes chaotic history though the eyes of a character not personally involved.Dennis Lehane’s A Given Day is an excellent story – one of those contradictory novels that both compels you and makes you almost afraid to turn the page to find out what happens next. I was delighted and fortunate to receive such a great book as an ARC.
    • 4/5
      This is the first historical novel by Dennis Lehane and it is grand. Set in early 20th century Boston, the novel traces events leading up to the Boston Police Strike of 1919. More than that, though, the book encompasses the time, detailing issues of race, the early labor movement, the influenza epidemic, and Bolshevism. The story revolves around two main characters, Danny Coughlin, son of a high-ranking police official and brother to a district attorney, and Luther Laurence, a black man on the run from a justifiable murder in Tulsa. Danny's undercover work with the labor unions and Bolsheviks influences him to become a leader in the efforts to unionize the police. Meanwhile, Luther finds his way in Boston while working for Danny's family and ultimately serves as Danny's guardian angel while avenging his own past. At 700 pages, the book is heavily plotted and detailed. At times it seems that Lehane has bitten off more than he can chew -- with so many details of the period some seem artificially woven into the plot. But he manages to keep the plot moving and the threads come together for the most part. Lehane's gift, more than character development and plot, is dialogue. No matter the setting of the scene, his dialogue is flawless and realistic, making the book a real page-turner.Lehane's most interesting period piece in the book is the interludes featuring Babe Ruth who played for the Boston Red Sox at the time of the police strike. The opening vignette with Babe Ruth in a pickup game of baseball with a group of black ballplayers could stand alone as a classic baseball short story.Overall the book is a tour-de-force for Lehane and one that establishes him as a foremost American author. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Boston near the end of the First World War is the setting for this richly layered novel of two families. The Coughlins are Irish, deeply embedded in the police and political structure of the city. Luther is black, running away from a crime committed in the Midwest, working for the nascent NAACP in Boston. Baseball, anarchists, immigrants, Brahmins, all form a part of this satisfying historical novel, the first of the Coughlin Trilogy.
    • 4/5
      Extremely interesting story of blacks and whites in Boston after WWII. The city was filled with revolutionaries, anarchists, immigrants, ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizen, all engaged in a battle of survival and power. Focuses of two families, one Boston Irish cop family; the other a Black family of whom some have made it and some are still finding their way. Enjoyed it.