An Irish immigrant named Jim commits suicide in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s.  His death strongly affects his widow as well as their unborn daughter.  The nuns at the  neighborhood convent, provide the widow, Annie, with a job in their laundry.  Her daughter, Sally, learns a lot more than religion from these pious women.

Although very Catholic,  I thoroughly enjoyed The Ninth Hour.  This is not a dramatic tale with a plot that twists and turns; rather it is a slice of life with somewhat predictable characters.  A frequent theme is what is right and what is a sin, making McDermott’s novel good for book group discussions.