OUR OWN KIND

"Afirst novel, without the melodrama of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to which it can however be compared, which has the honesty and sincerity of reality in its portrait of the Irish-Americans of Providence in the years 1912-1915, whose roots are in their homeland, whose genius is for the dramatic, the ludicrous, who know whirlpools of frustration, and who dream of the opportunities in their new country. Old Ned's dreams for his orphaned grandson, Willie, are part of his life, for Willie is to have an education and a career, and Ned gives way to nothing or no one to accomplish this. Ned moves the family to South Providence when the scandal of Willie's arrest seems insurmountable in their old surroundings, and there, through the intelligent, kindly interest of a young priest, through a growing pride in his own achievements, Willie recognizes what his grandfather is driving at, and determines to make the old man's dream come true. A warm, sometimes exciting, portrait of a family, a believable rather than theatrical portrait of a community, and a moving relationship between boy and old man, this should- as a first novel- win critical interest."--Kirkus