Black cat's tales

Following on the success of his first book, Black Cat in the Window, Irish writer "Liam O'Murchu" -- whose style has been compared to Garrison Keillor -- once again turns to the winning combination of humor, poignancy, and humanity in his second book, Black Cat's Tales. A young boy leaves home for Dublin where he first must deal with slums and poverty, and a whole range of interesting and lovable characters -- a rare encounter with special agent St. Anthony, a bird named Gerry, and the warring Garrets, whose mother is their lion tamer -- before he is gradually able to improve his lot and move up in life. Sharp, funny, sometimes unsettling, O'Murchu conjures up the past with convincing dialogue, wit, and acute descriptions. This intimate, sensitive portrayal of people's lives, with their ambiguities and certainties, their comedy and tragedy, sparkles with uplifting wisdom and style.