Told in the vibrant voices of this Irish-American family, "St. Patrick's Day" is the story of the Riley's of Washington, D.C., who have made their way up from poverty to the well-to-do suburb of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Built around Mary Riley's estrangement from her daughter Mary Kate, the book explores the many faces of love as a family overcomes discrimination and loss to find success and fulfillment, all nudged along by a bitter-sweet miracle.