Jennifer Egan lives in Brooklyn, and one of the great pleasures of this book is the life she brings to its historic structures- the Navy Yard, the Coney Island Parachute Drop, the Red Hook Waterfront, the old houses of Clinton Hill.

This is all just the backdrop however for the inspiring story of Anna Kerrigan, a single woman in Brooklyn in the 1930’s who has the courage to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her father, and also pursue her dangerous dream of becoming a deep sea diver. Anna develops an informal network of women friends who help her overcome her challenges. Nell lends her a bike so she can run out during her lunch hour to watch the divers practice and get back to work on time. Rose invites her to stay with her family so she live closer to the Navy Yard and not tarnish her reputation by living alone. Her Aunt Brianna accompanies her across the country and helps her reinvent her life and care for her child.

Egan deeply researched the stories of Navy Yard workers and this shows in the specificity of the story- the weight of the diving suit, the different classes of married and unmarried working women, how families cared for special needs children. These details made this novel so captivating, and also inspiring.

I give Manhattan Beach 5👍 out of 5👍