Home with Alice: A Journey in Gaelic Ireland

Steve Fallon`s Boston upbringing was as Irish as they come: portraits of the President, the Pope and the Sacred Heart hanging on the wall, a patina of song and booze, and even being taught by his Aunt Alice to bless himself in Gaelic. When, as an adult, he finds his life is generating more questions than answers, he embarks on a journey to the land of his ancestors determined to conquer Gaelic - and to find some personal peace. What starts out as a private odyssey begins to resemble a family road trip when, much to his surprise, Steve is joined by the spirit of his long-departed Aunt Alice. Together they journey to the heart of Irish-speaking Ireland - the Gaeltacht - through pubs and language classes, brushes with the `little people` an run-ins with other classmates, through Galway, Kerry, Donegal and beyond.

Despite all he learns along the way, Steve`s quest raises two fundamental questions. Can Gaelic continue to survive? And just how long is Alice planning to hand around?