Jack Gogarty, approaching old age makes a pilgrimage to the village in Wicklow where he had spent one summer as a boy. He recalls the mystical happenings of that strange and wonderful summer and discovers that the simple yet mysterious ways of the country people far outweigh the so-called advantages of modernity. The village is set in its ways combining their Christian faith with some of the ancient beliefs that were there long before the arrival of St. Patrick. When Father Vaughan arrives as the new parish priest his mission is to stamp out any hint of the old ways and lead the parish back to normalcy, but he has taken on a far harder task than he realizes. The people don't like his authoritarian ways and Vaughan becomes more and more angry always looking for even sterner ways to bring the people around. Filled with shocks, surprises and mystery, the story unfolds through the richness of the Irish countryside, its characters, their conflicts and their resolutions. And always there's the unspoken presence of the force behind the magic. There is also a great sense of laughter at the center of it all!
About the Author: Robert Cranny was born in Dublin and immigrated to the U.S. in his late teens. After serving three years in the Marine Corps, he began a career in advertising working as a copywriter. After he left advertising he worked on the Field Newspaper Syndicate writing feature articles. He also wrote for Fairchild Publications, The Washington Times, The St. Petersburg Times and other publications. He has been a speechwriter for senior management at Philip Morris, CBS, Time Warner and others. He has conducted writing workshops at Sing Sing prison, sponsored by PEN. His first novel "The Storm" appeared in 1983 to critical acclaim. His dialogue was described by the Irish Times as being "the truest since Joyce's 'A Portrait...' ". The Dublin Evening Herald compared his writing to "Dickens, Trevor, Dylan Thomas, even Joyce himself." He has also worked on movies including "Alphabet City" and "Curse of the Starving Class" from the play by Sam Shepherd. His second novel, "Faces Along the Bar" was published in 2002. He has written several plays including "Straight Shootin", "The Big Out" and "Nancy M." He has been guest lecturer at the New Jersey Public Library Writer's Program, Queens College, N.Y. and the New York School of Design. He attended St. Michael's College in Dublin and The City College of New York (CCNY). He currently lives in Knoxville, TN. and is working on his 4th novel.