An Irish-American family and the shadow of an untimely death

Frank Kirby’s exquisite debut spans six decades

The spirit of Alice McDermott, Colm Tóibín

Michaela is the story of the Murphys, who meet on a playground in Upper Manhattan, court at Coney Island, and bring four children into the world. It’s a great life until catastrophe strikes, and the surviving Murphy kids find church, family and one another inadequate for coming to terms with the loss.