Bartholomew “Bat” Lynch is an Irish immigrant who comes to America with his
older sister, Mary, during Prohibition. Bat is a rover, a philosopher and,
in many ways, a child who never grows up. He’s witty, light-hearted, quick
to tell a joke and even quicker to have a drink or two. During his lifetime,
he works at numerous
occupations, though most are short-lived, and he has memorable experiences at each.
An immensely likeable fellow, Bat is
blessed with good luck and has an uncanny knack for landing on his feet. But
his real fortune in this life is Eileen, his wife, who stands by him through it
all, loving, unfaltering and steadfast.
Bad blood exists between Bat and
Eileen’s brother, Jerry, who also becomes his brother-in-law when he weds
Bat’s sister. Over the years Bat keeps the dark secret he knows about Jerry
to himself, and Jerry’s hatred for Bat continues to fester. It all comes to a head
during Bat’s Irish home wake when divine retribution plays a hand in evening up
the score.
This
tome contains anecdotes that will make you laugh out loud along with
heart-wrenching passages that will evoke tears. It has innocence and
intrigue, guile and goodness, decency and deception, mirth and mortality.
Bat Lynch - like the fabled unicorn -
is a most unique and unforgettable character that you’ll be thinking about long
after you read the last page.