Charming Billy / McDermott, Alice

Set in an Irish American neighborhood at the end of World War II, Billy Lynch's friends and family have gathered to mourn him and reflect on the mysteries of love, fate and the terrible result of lies told to spare a friend pain.

A young woman, cousin to the late Billy Lynch who has just died of alcoholism, traces the story of his lost love, discovering her own father's role in trying to keep Billy from being hurt by the truth about Eva, and contemplating the effect her father's lie had on the rest of the family.