Secrets In The Smoke

"Secrets in the Smoke" is a novel set in Pittsburgh beginning in 1890 as young Jack Quinn, son of Irish immigrants, mourns the death of his mother and is forced to labor in the steel mill at the age of ten. Finding solace in the gardens of the wealthy, Jack is determined to escape the smoke and grime of his neighborhood. As a young man he devises a plan to rise above the "limited existence" of his family and girlfriend Clare. He develops a taste for whiskey and women, using his good looks and charm to further his goals. Jack pursues his dreams with Emma, an independent woman from a better neighborhood. As Jack deals with inner turmoil, Emma struggles with raising children and facing circumstances triggered by the Great War, Prohibition, and Jack's philandering. Jack succumbs to his weaknesses ending back in the arms of his long-lost sweetheart Clare. Secrets are buried as Jack's heart remains divided. The 1920's present new challenges for Emma; and can Jack become a better man?