Neighborhood Lines

“A story of a Boston friendship that broke cultural boundaries…”

Neighborhood Lines by Author Michael Patrick Murphy

In the heart of Boston in the 1980’s—a city engulfed in turmoil and racial tensions, an unlikely friendship develops between two students at Cathedral High School. Patrick is an Irish-Catholic born leader. His friends follow him with blind allegiance. Nate is a young, disciplined, black athlete—focused on finding his way out of the neighborhood alive. The two young men find themselves on hectic school grounds, in a culture that shuns friendships like theirs.

Through a tragic turn of events, we see stereotypical statuses turned upside down. The contrasting characters display the power of individual choice and response to life’s circumstances. Though the corruption and racism of Patrick and Nate’s Boston culture posed an equal threat to both, their respective choices to pick themselves up, find their resolve, and get past their environment, caused them to rise above it all.

This is the story of a Boston friendship that crossed neighborhood lines, broke cultural boundaries, and propelled two adolescents to rethink the world around them. May we all be impacted by the education this eye-opening read has to offer!

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5
Michael Patrick Murphy’s Neighborhood Lines adds important color and nuance to a different Michael Patrick’s classic, All Souls. In this re-telling of the story of 1990’s Boston, Murphy portrays the trying times with honesty and compassion. For those Bostonians—black and white—who lived through those times, the story of Nate and Patrick is a reminder; and for those who did not, it is a revelation. This compact book is filled to the brim with a humanity lacking in our sociological and political treatments of adolescence and race. A must read.
—David Harris, Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and Harvard Law lecture
5
Neighborhood Lines is a must read. As a 29-year veteran of the Boston Police I have lived and worked in both of these neighborhoods. Murphy has taken on a hot button topic and has brought it to print; a book that every high school should have on it’s reading list. After reading it, children will rethink how they view people from different ethnic backgrounds. This book shows that true friendships are color blind.
—Detective Tim Stanton, BPD
5
Neighborhood Lines is a window into life in early 1990’s Boston. Murphy has accurately portrayed the boundaries and personalities that made the city distinct in its tribalism at the time. The story’s two main characters make for a compelling tale of adolescent rivalry, racial strife, and human frailty set upon the backdrop of a city that few would recognize today. Read this novel for a vivid trip to the old neighborhoods…and the subjects that remain topical today.
—Christopher Murray, Attorney
5
Michael Murphy’s book is a story right out of today’s newspaper—breaking stereotypes and opening our minds to the beautiful possibility of what can happen when we look beyond the surface.
—Dan Phillips , Phillips DiPisa CEO
5
Neighborhood Lines tells a gripping and engaging story of America’s struggles with race, culture and ethnicity. It’s fitting that Nate and Patrick, two kids from opposing communities in Boston, can share their experiences as they come of age in a world full of challenges. Neighborhood Lines is an easy read that will leave you wanting more.
—Cornell Mills, Roxbury
5
I loved it. That period of time was swept under the carpet and has not been written about. It was such a weird, ugly period, but Murphy opens it up in a therapeutic way. And the timing is right!
—Joe Malone, Former Massachusetts State Treasurer & Boston Radio/TV Personality
5
A great story that resembles the trials and tribulations of the past, to teach great lessons to the youths of the future.
—Joseph Puopolo, D-Street Projects Local 12
5
Reading Neighborhood Lines was an emotional roller coaster that captured me from beginning to end. Every element pulls you deeper into the character’s feelings of loyalty, happiness, prejudice, and anger. Murphy’s ability to balance character development with a detailed and captivating story line transported me back into South Boston in 1990.
—Chad Boulay, Director, Real Estate Investments, Boston
5
Murphy tells a powerful story of two boys in the neighborhoods of Boston, at a time when the color of your skin was the boundary line. A MUST READ!
—Kevin Chapman, Actor, Dorchester
5
A superbly written tale of two men; each from a different side of the tracks. Murphy shines a light on a dark subject and causes one to rethink their view of the world around them...a world that may be as close as their own neighborhood.
—Paul Carter, South Boston
5
I read this book in two days. I instantly cared about the two main characters, Patrick and Nate. Their stories show how we can be, both the light and the darkness in other people’s lives. There is no good guy bad guy. There is just a human response to our circumstances and environment. We can be both hero and villain, depending upon our choices. Although racism was all around Patrick and Nate, these unlikely friends got past the superficial and dug deep. They made a difference in each other’s lives. Their friendship changed them at their core!
—Mary Kim, Zen Den Health & Wellness CEO, Athletic Trainer, Neural FX

Michael Patrick Murphy was born south of Boston and comes from a family with strong native ties to South Boston. He spent ten years getting an education on Morrissey Boulevard– his high school and college years lived out in and around the areas of Dorchester, South Boston, and Boston. Inspired by stories his grandmother told him of the city’s history, and of his great-grandfather, Boston City Councilor Michael Mahoney, Murphy originally wrote Neighborhood Lines while in college. Read Full Bio→