Christ in Concrete

Christ in Concrete is a 1939 novel by Pietro di Donato about Italian-American construction workers. The book, which made di Donato famous, was originally published by Esquire Magazine as a short story and was expanded into a novel by di Donato.

The novel was inspired by the death of di Donato's father in a construction accident on Good Friday in 1923. It tells the story of a bricklayer and his struggle to provide a home for his family.

As indicated by the title, the novel is noted for its rich religious imagery, presented in a largely modernist stream-of-consciousness style. It was adapted into a 1949 motion picture, Give Us This Day (U.S. title Christ in Concrete) and was directed by Edward Dmytryk.

Plot

I. Geremio: Geremio and his coworkers are gruesomely killed on the job when the building they are working on collapses. Geremio is swallowed in concrete, which crushes him to death as it dries. Because this accident occurs on Good Friday, Geremio is the "Christ in concrete" of the title.