Literature -- 3 stars
Shanley Keagan, a poor Irish orphan sings in pubs for pennies to keep a roof over himself and his alcoholic uncle. He convinces his uncle that there would be more than pennies in America, and off they go--only the uncle dies before the ship reaches New York. On Ellis Island, young Shanley attaches himself to an Italian family who have recently lost a son and are willing to take him in until he can find his own relatives. Fast forward through all the usual, trite, prohibition-era immigrant experiences...poverty, crime, wanting to impress the big boss for a chance at some quick money, etc. It all lands Shanley, now known as Tommy Capello in Alcatraz, where he is, of course, a favorite of the warden's wife. The one bright spot of originality is the introduction of a guard's small daughter, but she too is quickly lost in the mire of been there/read that by being described as cute and spunky and brave after being stolen away from her saintly mother by her abusive father and now living on Alcatraz with her mean and nasty daddy. Of course, Shanley/Tommy saves the girl and himself. The characters are stock, but not unlikable, and the story moves at a nice pace. It's just that none of it is well-served by the total predictability of it all.
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