Two adolescent boys, an Irish aristocra and his maiden aunt come together to fight for Ireland's liberty from England.

At first my American brain had a little challenge working around the Irish colloquialisms, but after a chapter or two, I got the hang of it. Imagining Bono, Colin Farrell or Gabriel Byrne reading to me helped significantly. It's a good book that goes well beyond the gay & lesbian label I think it usually finds. Jamie O'Neill's writing is captivating, especially in his presentation of the thoughts of individual characters through narrative. By the end of the novel, it challenges the meanings of manhood, humanity, patriotism and faith.