LAUGHING JOURNEY

Another Irish tale, but not in the strictly romantic vein. There is a philosophic note; there are flights of fantasy; there is enough of shock to lend savor; there is the light touch that lifts it all into the category of high adventure, of men, women, wine and song. The story teller is Shane Conor, a pensioned member of the San Francisco fire department, who retains in his old age, his sense of humor and his gift of gab. In his youth he loved with ardor rather than caution, and the son that resulted from his romance, is raised by a foster father in Scotland, but returns to Ireland, there to live at high speed, to love in his father's tradition, and to die a martyr to the revolutionary activities. It's a story in the form of reminiscences rather than straight fiction, and it is filled with characters, unrelated, but vital to the spirit of the book.