AN IRISH LULLABY DEPICTS HUMANITIES' SEARCH FOR RELEVANCY AND FULFILLMENT, SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL, MORAL, AND BURNING SOCIAL/CULTURAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME, ABORTION.
As Father O'Connor, an aging priest at Saint Aloysius Parish, contemplates his legacy, Angela Sanchez, a troubled teen, sits in an abortion clinic awaiting her procedure. She is comforted by Aubrey Fitzgibbons, who is married to the church deacon but also serves as a leader in the local Planned Parenthood. Aubrey is conflicted between her obligations to the church and her responsibilities to Planned Parenthood. More complications arise when Aubrey becomes pregnant herself, triggering a serious medical condition that threatens her life. Doctors recommend abortion, but something incredible is about to happen.
"In the halcyon days of Hudson County, the Catholic Church's priests and nuns shaped an ethic of respect for both church and society. Louis Manzo's "An Irish Lullaby" captures that spirit and the ways in which benign authoritarian voices insured a civil society where people learned to get along with each other. Those were the days."-- Fr. Alexander M. Santora, Faith Matters columnist for THE JERSEY JOURNAL and pastor of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph, Hoboken
"In my hometown, a priest in the twilight of his priesthood inadvertently intertwines past morays with the present culture, revealing personal decisions best left in the past."--Pat O'Melia, Host of the Jersey City Show and Television Producer
FROM REVIEWS POSTED ON THE ONLINE BOOKCLUB and READER'S FAVORITE:
..".It is so well written that you can hear the Irish brogue, taste the Irish whiskey, feel the deep-rooted bonds of friendship..."
..".The dramatic story portrays a balanced perspective of the politics and religious views pertaining to abortion."
..".Father O'Connor's endearing mannerisms captured my heart at the onset and never let go."
..".Louis Michael Manzo shows great skill in storytelling, weaving a tale that will keep readers enthralled.
"An Irish Lullaby sings a timeless song; a memorable melody that will keep you humming and pondering its truth for a lifetime."
..".Manzo also has an aptitude for drawing emotion out of the readers; I found myself laughing out loud at times and shedding tears at other times."
