A Son Called Gabriel

Set in the hills of Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 70s, A Son Called Gabriel is a coming of age novel. Gabriel Harkin, the eldest of four children in a working-class family, struggles through a loving yet often brutal childhood. It's a turbulent time in Ulster, and in the staunchly Catholic community to which Gabriel belongs, the strict code for belief and behavior is clear. As Gabriel begins to suspect that he's not like other boys, he tries desperately to lock away his feelings, and his fears. But secrets have a way of being discovered, and Gabriel learns that his might not be the only ones in the Harkin family.

Literature & Fiction

McNicholl, Damian

Contemporary

CDS Books

Growing up in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, Gabriel Harkin realizes he isn't like the other boys in his class, as he tries to come to terms with his homosexuality.

Inspired by true events, The Moment of Truth finds a Texan art student facing down life, death, love, and glory in the bullfighting rings of 1950s Mexico. Texan art student Kathleen Boyd has been dreaming about becoming a matador since her beloved father took her to the bullfighting ring when she was just a child. Now a young woman, her disapproving fiancé and her practical-minded mother see her dream only as a foolish flight of fancy. Nevertheless, Kathleen relocates to Mexico and finds herself under the instruction of Fermin, a retired matador who is intent on asserting his dominance in their partnership. Though taking on a female apprentice is unheard of, Fermin sees Kathleen’s undeniable talent and promises that she’ll one day perform at the prestigious Plaza Mexico bullring. While Kathleen struggles to perform alongside the unwelcoming men of Mexico’s bullfighting scene, she is befriended by Julio, better known as El Cabrito―The Kid. Much to Fermin’s displeasure, not only does Julio show Kathleen techniques that defy his strict instruction, but a forbidden romance quickly ignites between them. As time passes, Kathleen’s confidence in her ability increases―though so too do her suspicions of Fermin’s intentions. She has become a sensation, selling out arenas as La Diosa Tejana, the Texan Goddess. But while Fermin gets rich, Kathleen’s pay remains pitiful and her instructor’s control over her life remains absolute. Will she always be a vehicle for another person’s success? Or will she finally face her own moment of truth and seize the success that she has worked toward for so long, in a world that has always belonged to men?

The Moment of Truth

United States

Pegasus Books

A beautiful and deeply felt coming-of-age novel that follows one young man’s struggles with family secrets and the mysteries of his own heart in 1960s Northern Ireland. Gabriel Harkin is the eldest of four children in a working-class family in 1960s Northern Ireland, struggling through a loving, if often brutal, childhood. In the staunchly Catholic community to which Gabriel belongs, the strict rules for belief and behavior are clear. But his upbringing is marked by constant bullying by peers who prey on his gentle nature and the constant battle to earn the love and respect of his father. Even as he strives to be the perfect picture of young Irish boyhood, he is undermined at every turn by his true feelings. As political clashes and violence take place across the country, Gabriel must face his own inner turmoil. He begins to suspect that he's not like other boys, and tries desperately to lock away his feelings―and his fears―even as he explores his burgeoning sexuality. Beyond his own struggle is a family secret that remains veiled, something with the power to rock Gabriel’s already fragile understanding of his identity. And as Gabriel confronts the confusion and isolation that have come to mark his adolescence, he also learns that secrets, no matter how badly some may want them buried, have a way of coming to light. Evoking a sense of time and place as compelling as Angela’s Ashes and At Swim, Two Birds, Damian McNicholl's A Son Called Gabriel is a deeply felt and often funny coming-of-age novel that heralded the arrival of a striking new literary voice

A Son Called Gabriel: A Novel

Genre Fiction

Set in the hills of Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, A Son Called Gabriel is a deeply felt and often funny coming-of-age novel that is ultimately unforgettable. Gabriel Harkin, the eldest of four children in a working-class family, struggles through a loving yet often brutal childhood. It’s a turbulent time in Ulster, and in the staunchly Catholic community to which Gabriel belongs, the rigid code for belief and behavior is clear. As Gabriel begins to suspect that he’s not like other boys, he tries desperately to lock away his feelings, and his fears. But secrets have a way of being discovered, and Gabriel learns that his might not be the only one in the Harkin family.

Legend Times Group

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McNicholl, Damian. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by McNicholl, Damian

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by McNicholl, Damian. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Son Called Gabriel

A Son Called Gabriel

The Moment of Truth

A Son Called Gabriel: A Novel

The Moment of Truth

A Son Called Gabriel