The Mahoneys of West Seattle—a Novel by Stephen Burke

Family Life in the Dot Com Bubble

The story begins in the Arbor Heights section of West Seattle in 1999. The Mahoneys have been living there for several years, raising their two kids while planning to eventually move to Anchorage, Alaska. Anne works as an environmental engineer on the Eastside. Matthew is the foreman of a roofing crew and bartends at a popular restaurant near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal.

They’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where everyone knows each other and gets along. There are block parties during the summer. And birthdays, graduations and anniversaries have a way of turning into get-togethers that are open to everyone within a couple of streets.

But in February, 2000, just as the dot-com bubble is about to burst, the Mahoneys experience their own financial crisis. It threatens to upend their plan. To get it back on track, Anne takes a contract job on the North Slope of Alaska. There she’s confronted with a possible career-ending decision. Matthew stays in West Seattle with their two kids and deals with an unexpected ghost from his South Boston past. Beyond their separate dilemmas, a tragic event occurs that changes the life of one of their children forever.

At Its Heart, An American Family Tale

The Mahoneys of West Seattle sets you firmly in the Seattle of 25 years ago, then takes you north on an adventure to Prudhoe Bay and a town called Deadhorse, Alaska. At the same time, it’s a story familiar to every family trying to achieve the American Dream despite the challenges that life throws its way.