Exile on Bridge Street

In this grinding tale of death and survival, the sequel to Light of the Diddicoy, elderly Irish immigrant William “Liam” Garrity tells of his life in Brooklyn from 1916, when he was 15 and became known as a thief of pencils, to 1918. Loingsigh vividly and repeatedly evokes the crushing poverty, the harsh living conditions, the brutally violent struggle to have and to hold jobs, and the constant scramble for leadership among the inhabitants of Brooklyn’s Irishtown. Garrity finds his protector and mentor in powerful Dinny Meehan, who teaches him to be a man. The teenager’s efforts to find his place in the community require him to fight and to kill. Garrity’s chief aim is to save enough from his earnings to bring his mother and two sisters to America, and he never loses sight of that goal. Readers should be prepared for some florid prose and a large cast of characters, whose roles and allegiances are often difficult to follow or understand. [em](Oct.) [/em]