“She had always been drawn to water, to the feeling of being held and released.”
— Anna's affinity for the ocean, a recurring theme.
Archivist's Choice
Manhattan Beach
Jennifer Egan (2017)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
Reading Time
900 min
Key Themes
See below
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In 1940s New York, a young woman works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard and uncovers the secrets of her father's disappearance, navigating gangsters and wartime changes to build her own life.
Synopsis
In 1934 Brooklyn, nearly twelve-year-old Anna Kerrigan visits Dexter Styles, a nightclub owner, with her father, Eddie. Anna senses a tense connection between the men. Soon after, Eddie disappears, leaving Anna, her mother Agnes, and her disabled sister Lydia to manage on their own. Years later, during World War II, Anna works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, doing traditionally male jobs. She wants to become the yard's first female diver, repairing ships in a dangerous environment.
Anna meets Dexter Styles again, which leads her into her father's past. She learns about his ties to organized crime and why he disappeared. As Anna works and her relationship with Dexter develops, she finds out what happened to Eddie. She also confronts the moral choices and sacrifices people around her made. The novel covers ambition, gender roles, and finding identity during a time of change in America.
Reading time
900 min
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Atmospheric, Gritty, Reflective, Determined
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy immersive historical fiction with strong female protagonists, complex family mysteries, and a gritty, atmospheric setting.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced thrillers or stories with clear-cut heroes and villains, or find detailed descriptions of diving and naval work unengaging.
Plot Summary
A Mysterious Visit and a Father's Disappearance
In 1934, nearly twelve-year-old Anna Kerrigan goes with her father, Eddie, a charming but unreliable bagman for the Irish mob, to the home of Dexter Styles, a nightclub owner and mob associate in Manhattan Beach. Anna sees a tense exchange between the two men. She is drawn to the ocean views from Styles's house. Soon after this visit, Eddie Kerrigan disappears. Anna, her mother Agnes, and her disabled younger sister, Lydia, must cope with his absence and their sudden financial problems. Anna's mother gets a job, and Anna cares for Lydia, who often uses a wheelchair or is confined to bed. Eddie's disappearance leaves Anna with a lasting sense of mystery and abandonment.
War Work and a New Path
It is 1942, and America is fighting in World War II. Twenty-year-old Anna Kerrigan works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, where the war has created new opportunities for women in jobs usually held by men. She first works on the assembly line, doing repetitive tasks. Wanting more challenging work and to understand the large ships being repaired, Anna asks for a transfer. She gets a job in the Measurement and Record section, a less physical but still important role. Her ambition is greater, though. She wants to join the shipyard's divers, fascinated by their work beneath the murky water, a world previously closed to women.
Breaking Barriers: Anna Becomes a Diver
Anna's interest in the divers grows. She watches them, reads about their methods, and eventually asks the head diver, Mr. Mooney, about joining. Mooney and the all-male diving team are at first resistant, but Anna's persistence, intelligence, and determination eventually convince them. She trains hard, showing her physical and mental strength in the challenging diving suit. She learns to navigate the underwater environment of the naval yard, doing important repairs on ships. Anna becomes the first female diver at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, earning her male colleagues' respect. She finds purpose in this dangerous job.
A Chance Re-encounter with Dexter Styles
One evening, while with her colleague Nell, Anna finds herself at a Manhattan nightclub. She sees Dexter Styles, the man her father had visited years ago, now a powerful figure. The meeting is awkward at first, but Anna, wanting to understand her father's disappearance, seeks him out again. She questions him, subtly looking for information about Eddie. Styles, initially cautious, is interested in Anna and her connection to Eddie. Their interactions are full of unspoken history and a growing attraction, opening a door to the past Anna wants to explore. This meeting restarts Anna's search for the truth about her father.
Dexter's World and Eddie's History
Anna and Dexter start meeting more often, and their relationship becomes a secret affair. Through Dexter, Anna learns about the mob and her father's involvement. Dexter reveals Eddie was not just a bagman but also involved in union activities and had a complicated relationship with criminals, including Mr. Q. Anna learns her father owed money to Styles and others, and his disappearance was likely connected to these dangerous ties. Dexter, while still holding back some details, gives Anna important parts of the puzzle, confirming her suspicions about the dangers her father faced and the real nature of his work.
The Threat of Mr. Q
Dexter Styles, despite his success, is under the control of Mr. Q, the ruthless head of the Irish mob. Styles's lifestyle and businesses are mostly covers for Q's operations, and he lives in constant fear of the mob boss. He owes Q for his rise and for covering Eddie's debts after he disappeared. Styles's relationship with Anna, and her questions about Eddie, bring back old worries and put him at more risk. He is caught between wanting a legitimate life, his loyalty to Eddie, and the constant threat of Q, who demands obedience and remembers debts. Dexter's life is a gilded cage, always close to collapse.
Agnes's Struggles and Lydia's Decline
While Anna works and searches for answers, her mother, Agnes, struggles to manage their home and care for Lydia. Agnes finds comfort with a new man, but her life remains marked by financial stress and the unresolved grief of Eddie's absence. Lydia's physical and mental health, always delicate, worsens. Despite Anna's love and the family's efforts, Lydia's health declines significantly, leading to her death. This loss deeply affects Anna and Agnes, showing the lasting impact of Eddie's disappearance on their family and strengthening Anna's resolve to find the truth.
The Truth About Eddie's Fate
Through her questions and Dexter's eventual revelations, Anna puts together the full story of her father's disappearance. Eddie, deeply in debt and pressured by Q, had tried to extort money from Styles, threatening to expose Q's operations. Styles, under pressure from Q, had to make a choice. He set up Eddie's 'disappearance,' leading him to a secluded place where Q's enforcers murdered him. Dexter, though not directly involved in the murder, was complicit in Eddie's death, which has haunted him. This news shocks Anna, confirming her worst fears and complicating her feelings for Dexter, who is both her father's betrayer and her lover.
Confrontation and Consequences
With the truth about her father's murder and Dexter's part in it, Anna confronts him. The revelation is devastating, forcing them to deal with the moral complexities of their relationship. Anna, heartbroken and feeling betrayed, also understands Dexter's difficult situation, caught between his own survival and Eddie's fate. Dexter, for his part, is relieved to finally share the secret, even if it means losing Anna. Their confrontation is emotional, changing their dynamic. Dexter, realizing Q's inescapable control and the danger he poses to anyone close to him, decides to escape his criminal life.
Dexter's Escape and Anna's Path Forward
Dexter Styles, knowing his life is in danger from Mr. Q, plans his escape. He sells assets, gets new identities, and disappears, leaving his old life and the mob's threat behind. He leaves a large sum of money for Anna, a final act of atonement and care. Anna, deeply affected by the loss of her father, Lydia, and now Dexter, finds strength in her independence. She continues her work as a diver, embracing the danger and solitude of the underwater world. She chooses to move forward, carrying the knowledge of her father's past and the complexities of human choices, creating her own path, free from the shadows of the men who influenced her early life. She finds peace and self-reliance, having navigated both literal and metaphorical deep waters.
Principal Figures
Anna Kerrigan
The Protagonist
Anna evolves from a vulnerable child into a strong, independent woman who forges her own path and finds peace after confronting the painful truths of her past.
Eddie Kerrigan
The Supporting
Eddie's arc is largely told in retrospect, revealing his descent into deeper criminal ties and ultimately, his demise.
Dexter Styles
The Antagonist/Supporting
Dexter grapples with his past complicity in Eddie's death, eventually seeking a perilous escape from his life of crime.
Agnes Kerrigan
The Supporting
Agnes endures hardship and loss, finding a new companion but never fully recovering from Eddie's disappearance and Lydia's death.
Lydia Kerrigan
The Supporting
Lydia's brief life is marked by her illness, culminating in her tragic death, which deeply affects Anna.
Mr. Q
The Antagonist
Mr. Q remains a consistently menacing and powerful force, never truly defeated within the narrative.
Mr. Mooney
The Supporting
Mooney transitions from skepticism to acceptance and mentorship of Anna as she proves her capabilities.
Nell
The Supporting
Nell remains a steady, supportive friend to Anna throughout her journey at the shipyard.
Themes & Insights
Identity and Self-Discovery
Anna's journey is about making her own identity despite her father's past and the expectations of her time. Becoming a diver is a strong act of self-definition, letting her move past her grief and traditional female roles. She finds her own strength, courage, and purpose in the dangerous underwater world, separate from the men in her life. This theme also appears in Dexter Styles's effort to balance his public image with his criminal past.
“She was learning to be a person, not a daughter or a sister, but a person with a body and a will and a mind that could solve problems in the dark, thirty feet down.”
The Shifting Roles of Women in Wartime
The novel shows how World War II changed women's lives and societal roles. Anna's work as a diver at the Brooklyn Naval Yard symbolizes the new opportunities and challenges for women in jobs usually held by men. This theme highlights the breaking of gender barriers, women's empowerment through wartime work, and new definitions of femininity and capability. The war helps create social change, allowing women like Anna to show their strength and competence.
“The war had opened a hole in the world for women, and Anna had slipped through it. She was doing a man's work, and it felt like her own.”
The Allure and Danger of the Criminal Underworld
The novel details the presence of the Irish mob in 1940s New York. Through Eddie and Dexter, Egan explores the connections of loyalty, debt, violence, and moral compromise in this world. The criminal underworld is shown as both appealing and brutal, offering power and wealth but at a high cost. It is a world where families are destroyed, and people like Dexter are trapped, showing the lasting effects of such ties.
“The mob was a web, and once you were caught, every struggle only pulled you deeper.”
Truth, Memory, and Forgiveness
Anna's search for the truth about her father's disappearance drives the story. The novel explores how secrets can affect individuals and families for years. As Anna uncovers the reality of Eddie's fate and Dexter's involvement, she deals with betrayal and the possibility of forgiveness. This theme covers memory, how people reconstruct the past, and the process of accepting difficult truths to find some peace.
“She knew that the past, like the water, could hold you down or lift you up, depending on how you fought it.”
Class and Social Mobility
The novel shows the class structures of 1930s and 40s New York and the limited ways to move up in society. Eddie Kerrigan's attempts to improve his status lead him into the dangerous criminal world, while Dexter Styles, despite his wealth, remains controlled by the mob. Anna, however, finds a unique path to advancement and respect through her unusual and dangerous work as a diver. This shows a different kind of progress not tied to traditional wealth or status. The contrast between the Kerrigans' difficulties and Styles's rich (but restricted) life highlights these social divisions.
“Money was a language, and her father had never quite learned to speak it without an accent.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Dual Perspective/Intertwined Narratives
Alternating focus between Anna and Dexter's experiences to reveal a larger story.
The novel primarily follows Anna's journey but also dedicates significant portions to Dexter Styles's perspective, particularly concerning his life in the mob and his relationship with Eddie. This allows the reader to understand the motivations and pressures on both sides of the central mystery, creating dramatic irony and revealing the full scope of the criminal underworld that impacted Anna's family. It ensures a comprehensive, multi-faceted understanding of the events surrounding Eddie's disappearance and Dexter's complicity, enriching the narrative with depth and tension.
Symbolism of Water/The Ocean
Represents mystery, danger, transformation, and the subconscious.
From young Anna's fascination with the ocean at Dexter Styles's house to her eventual profession as a diver, water is a powerful symbol. It represents the unknown depths of her father's secrets, the dangers of the underworld (often associated with illicit shipping), and the transformative power of her work. The murky, cold waters of the naval yard reflect the opaque nature of the truth Anna seeks, while the act of diving itself becomes a metaphor for confronting her deepest fears and finding clarity and purpose in darkness.
Historical Setting of WWII
Provides a backdrop for social change and personal opportunity.
The World War II era serves as more than just a setting; it's a crucial catalyst for the plot and character development. The war creates the economic and social conditions that allow women like Anna to enter traditionally male fields, directly enabling her career as a diver. It also provides a sense of urgency and national purpose that contrasts with the shadowy, self-serving world of the mob. The historical context amplifies themes of patriotism, sacrifice, and the profound shifts in American society, particularly for women.
Noir Thriller Elements
Infuses the narrative with suspense, moral ambiguity, and a sense of impending doom.
The novel employs classic noir elements, including a morally ambiguous protagonist (Dexter), a femme fatale figure (Anna, in a sense, as she probes dangerous secrets), a shadowy criminal underworld, and a pervasive sense of dread and mystery surrounding a past crime. The atmosphere is often tense and foreboding, with characters operating in morally gray areas and facing impossible choices. This stylistic choice enhances the suspense surrounding Eddie's disappearance and Dexter's precarious existence, drawing the reader into a world of secrets and danger.
The Diving Suit
Symbolizes isolation, protection, and the journey into the unknown.
The heavy, cumbersome diving suit is a potent symbol for Anna. It represents both the physical and emotional armor she dons to enter a dangerous, alien world. Inside the suit, she is isolated yet protected, allowing her to confront the physical challenges of her job and, metaphorically, the emotional depths of her past. It signifies her transformation into a self-reliant individual capable of navigating treacherous environments, both literally underwater and within the complexities of her own life and the secrets she uncovers.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The past was a country no one could visit without being changed.”
— A reflection on the enduring impact of past events.
“There was a loneliness to being a woman in a man's world, a constant, low hum.”
— Anna's experience as a diver in a male-dominated profession.
“Money was a language that spoke loudest in its absence.”
— Reflecting on the financial struggles and motivations of characters.
“Every secret was a kind of debt, accumulating interest.”
— The burden of secrets held by various characters.
“The war had a way of stripping things down to their essentials, good and bad.”
— The impact of World War II on the lives and morality of characters.
“She felt the familiar pull of the deep, a world that was both terrifying and utterly peaceful.”
— Anna's feelings while diving, embracing the danger and solitude.
“He understood then that some things, once broken, could never be fully mended, only carefully reassembled.”
— Eddie's realization about his relationships and life.
“New York was a city of ghosts, of lives lived and forgotten, pressing close.”
— The atmospheric description of New York City during the war.
“The weight of a decision, once made, could be heavier than any physical burden.”
— Characters grappling with the repercussions of their choices.
“Love, she thought, was a kind of falling, a surrender to something greater than oneself.”
— Anna's contemplation of love and its power.
“There was a peculiar freedom in being underestimated, a chance to surprise.”
— Anna using others' underestimation to her advantage.
“The ocean kept its secrets, and sometimes, so did people.”
— A parallel drawn between the mysteries of the sea and human nature.
“He wore his past like a suit he couldn’t take off, even when it no longer fit.”
— Dexter Styles's struggle with his criminal history.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
Manhattan Beach follows Anna Kerrigan, a young woman in 1940s New York, who navigates the disappearance of her father, Eddie, and the complexities of World War II. She breaks barriers by becoming the first female diver at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, while simultaneously trying to uncover the truth behind her father's connection to the enigmatic gangster, Dexter Styles, and his sudden vanishing.
About the author
Jennifer Egan is an American novelist and short-story writer. Her novel A Visit from the Goon Squad won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. As of February 28, 2018, she is the president of PEN America.
