Charming Billy

Charming Billy opens with the death of the title character — Billy Lynch, a big-hearted but troubled working-class Irish-American. It is presumed that alcohol killed Billy but his past reveals a tragic love affair and a family betrayal. Alice McDermott's writing style is a bit too earnest for my taste, but her story finds great beauty in the ordinary lives of Billy and those around him. Winner of the 1998 National Book Award.