Laughter, Tears & Wonders: An Irish Memoir: Childhood and Coming of Age in Dublin 1942-1966 - Paperback

by Niall John Kavanagh (Author)

A NEW CAPTIVATING IRISH MEMOIR. THIS DUBLINER'S STORY IS A MUST READ A Magical Irish Memoir full of Laughter, Tears and Wonders.

Niall Kavanagh captures youthful exuberance in this memoir depicting misadventure and mayhem in 1940s, -50s and -60s Dublin. Money was scarce and life could have been grim, but the children of the Northside found ways to amuse themselves. Creative, intelligent, clever and full of boldness, Niall is always looking out for a new challenge as he works out the issues of telling the truth, belonging, entertaining himself, responsibility and living in a developing and changing Ireland.

There is universality in this depiction of a life of hardship that was surpassed by great family love, faith, camaraderie, adventure, curiosity and mischief. More devilish and irresponsible than most, Niall tests boundaries both physical and imaginative and constantly seeks amusement. Along the way, he learns that his actions can result in mishaps. As he matures, he continues to seek amusement, yet he becomes more and more aware that, as his loving father told him, there are consequences to his actions.

Niall "isn't a bad boy", but he is a "bit bold"; reading this memoir, you'll quickly step into his Dublin and his life. His "boldness" is a stepping stone to an awareness of his own capabilities, his ability to seek and grow, his ability to accept and relish challenges and his interest in and love for the history of Ireland. His is also a story of survival despite his derring-do and the bleakness and straitened circumstances of post-WWII Dublin.

This memoir brings home the joy of being young. We can all laugh at Niall's dangerous exploits and explore the thought process that drive and challenge him. We can all recognize how these things become channeled to produce maturity in choices, along with a willingness to take a risk when it is required.

Laughter, Tears & Wonders: An Irish Memoir is a delightful romp through a life of twists, turns, pitfalls, exultations and all the excitement that goes with them.

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Author Biography

While all our days are linked, I've always thought of each new day having a life of its own. Each one with an exciting virgin beginning, pregnant with its own unique potential, and gifting us with memories - treasures that enrich all our nows and our dreams of as yet unfulfilled tomorrows. I was born in Dublin Ireland on 27 July 1942. My life has been crammed with surprises; next July I'll be seventy-five, and that I'm still alive and writing this memoir is perhaps the biggest surprise of all. I was fourteen when my Da died, 1 April 1956 - and he was only forty-nine. I never expected to see fifty, yet here I am. The distinctive character and rich history of Ireland is a huge part of my making. Laughter, Tears & Wonders is a collection of reminiscences that captures my childhood and growing up in Dublin in the 1940s, '50s and early '60s. Post-WWII Dublin may have been bleak, but for me, then and for the first thirty-three years of my life, it was utopian. Sadly, however, I was forced to leave Utopia. In 1975, I immigrated to the United States (illegally I might add), in search of work. My first wife Teresa, our three children Elisa, Susan and Graeme, our dog Mandy, and my mother-in-law Rita, emigrated with me; Elisa was five, Susan was three, and Graeme was one. Teresa died, 21 February 2003 following a two-year battle with lymphoma, and after twenty-eight years of making a new life together in another country. God works in mysterious ways; however, and just between you and me, I think He made a big mistake taking Teresa up to heaven so soon - she was fifty-nine. In July 2005 I was blessed to find a new love and a new life in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. That's where I live today, along with my wife, Darlene and our two dogs, Hannah Banana and Max Loco. I hope you enjoy these yarns as much as I delight in sharing them with you.There are lots more where they've come from; being the Dublin-born Irishman I am, sure haven't I only just begun?