“Makenomistakeaboutit:WalkingwithGhostsisamasterpiece.Abookthatwillwringoutourtiredhearts.Itisbyturnspoetic,moving,andveryfunny.YouwillfinditontheshelfalongsideothergreatIrishmemoirsincludingthosebyFrankMcCourt,NualaO’FaolainandEdnaO’Brien.“--ColumMcCannAsayoungboygrowingupintheoutskirtsofDublin,GabrielByrnesoughtrefugeinaworldofimaginationamongthefieldsandhillsnearhishome,attheedgeofarapidlyencroachingcity.Borntoworkingclassparentsandtheeldestofsixchildren,heharboredachildhooddesiretobecomeapriest.Whenhewaselevenyearsold,ByrnefoundhimselfcrossingtheIrishSeatojoinaseminaryinEngland.Fouryearslater,Byrnehadbeenexpelledandhequicklyreturnedtohisnativecity.Therehetookoddjobsasamessengerboyandafactorylaborertogetby.Inhissparetime,hevisitedthecinemawherehecouldbealoneandyetpartofacrowd.Itwasherethathecouldbegintoimaginealifebeyondthegreyworldof60sIreland.HereveledinthetheatreandpoetryofDublin’sstreets,populatedbycharactersaseccentricandremarkableasanyinfiction,thosewhospinayarnwithacuityandwit.ItwasafriendwhosuggestedByrnejoinanamateurdramagroup,adecisionthatwouldchangehislifeforeverandlaunchhimonanextraordinaryforty-yearcareerinfilmandtheatre.MovingbetweensensualrecollectionofchildhoodinanowalmostvanishedIrelandandreflectionsonstardominHollywoodandBroadway,Byrnealsocourageouslyrecountshisbattlewithaddictionandtheambivalenceoffame.WalkingwithGhostsisbyturnshilariousandheartbreakingaswellasalyricalhomagetothepeopleandlandscapesthatultimatelyshapeourdestinies.
