At Swim, Two Boys

The book is set in Dublin and its near surrounds and follows the year leading up to Easter 1916, the time of the brave and fractured uprising against British rule. But at its core, it is a love story between two boys: Jim, a naive and reticent scholar and Doyler, the dark rough diamond. Out at the great jut of rock where gentleman bathe in the scandalous nude, the two boys meet day after day. There they make a pact that Doyler will teach Jim to swim and in a year,swim the bay and claim the island for their country and for themselves. This book beautifully portrays the relationship between the two teenagers - a delicate and heart-felt affair that is complicated by social circumstances, as well as the period of political turmoil and resonances of Oscar Wilde's trial and imprisonment. Lyrical and literary, this is highly recommended!

Paperback, 563 Pages, Orig. Publ. 2001, This Ed. Publ. 2003