With this thoughtful novel, Raleigh has broken from the detective genre of his five previous works (Death in Uptown; A Body in Belmont Harbor; etc.). Danny Dorsey, the main character of this fictional memoir, recounts his turbulent childhood. After both of his parents are killed in an automobile accident, he is brought up by his grandparents and other close family members. As Danny adapts to his loss and to his new "caregivers" (and as the family adapts to raising this quirky, orphaned child), listeners get a nostalgic glimpse of what it was like to be Irish in 1950s Chicago. The book makes a quiet and amusing study of its characters, from Danny's drink-loving Grandpa Flynn to his favorite uncle, Tom, who is in love with another man's girl. Lawlor's reading is ebullient and full of life. His delivery as Danny is natural, evoking an honest joy in his reading. Listeners can hear him smile as his "recollections" bring him back to the day of the big ball game, when Uncle Tom's team plays that of the other man, a scene culminating in the humorous climax of the novel. Based on the Sourcebooks hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 26, 2001). (Mar.)
