Downton Abbey Set In The Heart of Boston

"The Red Coat is an inspiring tale of Irish immigrants; it is a great American story that affirms the lives and honors the sacrifices of all the immigrants who have made and continue to make this country great."

-Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., New York Times Bestselling Author

Irish domestic worker Norah King’s decision to ask her wealthy employer, Caroline Parker, for an elegant red coat 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 for generations, 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.