Joseph’s Coat, by Vastine Bondurant, opens with a captivating scene that immediately immerses readers into the heart of a 1920s New York setting, replete with love, loss, and mystery. This supernatural drama unfolds around the lives of Kate and her husband, Giovanni, whose deep passion for each other is shadowed by a recent, devastating loss. Their hope to find solace by adopting a boy from a local orphanage soon encounters the twists typical of an enthralling mystery, as hidden secrets begin to surface, threatening to unravel their lives.

The novel contrasts the intimate, sometimes erotic life of the couple with the broader backdrop of the Catholic Church. In a modern literary landscape, it is refreshing to encounter characters like the priests and nuns in this story—flawed, yet fundamentally benevolent, striving to live by their faith.

Vastine Bondurant excels in narrative delivery, employing a mix of engaging dialogue and prose to weave the present with the past. Her transition from realism into the paranormal is skillfully executed, and while the prose occasionally embraces the familiar, it generally maintains a vibrant, original flair. The descriptions are richly drawn, effectively capturing the emotional landscape of the characters, as seen in passages like, “Kate’s resolve, the reason she had come, suddenly melted, drizzling into a pool of doubt at her feet.”

The research behind this novel is evident, providing a detailed and authentic glimpse into the era. The linguistic nuances, particularly the Irish and Italian accents, enrich the narrative, adding a layer of lyricism and enhancing the atmospheric quality of the setting. Joseph’s Coat is a compelling paranormal story marked by its atmospheric depth and memorable characters whose journeys resonate well beyond the final page.

Pages: 584 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSWL2XND