Yesterday, I learned that my dear literary brother and mentor, Colin Broderick, published his latest book (it seems he actually published it on Sunday, but his notices arrived to me yesterday – ahem).
Now I had been blessed to read the many drafts as this story was being created over the past year, engaging in deep discussions with himself, including over his final manuscript draft, so I knew every nook and cranny.
I bought a copy on Amazon for support and submitted my review. This blog embellishes a bit more on what you will find there.
The novel is a fictionalized version of Hell’s Kitchen in the 70s during the reign of the Irish-American criminal enterprise we know as the Westies.
New York Irish-Americans are as well versed in this gangster lore as any Italian-American is familiar with La Costa Nostra.
In any culture, you have to take the bitter with the sweet.
Believe it or not, frontiersman Davy Crockett first coined the term “hell’s kitchen” when describing his view of some of the Irish slums in New York. That term was later applied to the West Side of Manhattan by a clever NYT journalist in 1881. It stuck.
Of course, I set a chapter in Finding Jimmy Moran in a Hell’s Kitchen bar. You have to honor your roots.
We all know or are related to someone who lived in that area – Spaghetti and his brothers spent some time in HK prohibition speakeasies in the early part of the last century (there are HK SE Pub Crawls now –
https://bestpubcrawl.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-exploring-the-prohibition-era-in-hells-kitchen/ –
– and Colin lived in an apartment there during his darkest days in the early part of this century. The latter fact is another reason why his book feels so authentic.
Now Colin does not shy away from the dark side of the Westies story. But he captures it through the humanity of a completely fictionalized character “Danny Boy McCoy,” a journeyman boxer who is sucked into criminal life as if it was his inescapable birthright. Danny is more a victim than a predator, and all he dreams about is turning his back on the violence and getting his sick mother away from the neighborhood.
Danny is part Terry Malloy (On The Waterfront), part Rocky Balboa (Rocky) and part Danny Flynn (The Boxer).
Having invested some of my misspent youth bruising and bleeding in the square circle, I found his descriptions of Danny’s fights on point.
You root for Danny from the get-go and continue to do so right to the very last page.
Don’t let the 400 plus pages frighten you off. This is CB’s best writing and you will curse yourself when you burn through the pages too quickly. It is that fast a read.
Colin has taken a page from Mario Puzo in capturing this story.
I cannot say enough about Colin Broderick’s latest book, but as the dawn now arrives, I must wrap this up.
You fine, five readers swallow the last of the coffee and put on your skates. Wednesday’s hump awaits.
Wave to Friday from the peak.
I’m going to go out and cuddle some kitties and make my rounds.
But check out Colin Broderick’s new book.
And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.
2 Responses
On your say-so… I am giving this book my rapt attention. I note that T. J. English, author of “The Westies,” gave a nice endorsement. As you know, I have more than a passing familiarity (both professional and personsl) w the Westies and the neighborhood. For a good chunk.of our childhood, our beloved Aunt Kathleen( Sr. Maria Goretti, O.P./Dr. Catherine Biggins) was stationed at Holy Cross Convent and School in the Kitchen. We saw the Mullen brothers playing roller hockey in that playground, and many Westies in the Market Diner in the morning hours after Mass and their nocturnal adventures. I have high hopes for this latest from your pal, CB.
So excited about his new book!!