The narrator of this harrowing and hilarious novel is Wil Carson, a former Protestant ex-thug from Northern Ireland. Wil's adolescent hatred of Catholics is inherited from his bigoted father, but his sardonic twist on life as a "no-hoper from the Backstreets of East Belfast" is all his own. When the opportunity of a lifetime arises -- a chance to travel to America as part of a church-sponsored peace project -- Wil decides to swallow his prejudices and go along with the program. But his goodwill only goes so far, and a series of tragicomic events lands him in a Wisconsin penitentiary. Wil's stint behind bars leaves him plenty of time to review his past deeds, ponder the choices he's made, and reflect on a life of mixed blessings and curses. The Rainbow Singer offers a unique slant on Northern Ireland's ethnic strife as well as an utterly original and distinct new voice in fiction.