Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s is an era that many novelists have looked to. Damian McNicholl's "A Son Called Gabriel" is the latest such book. It is a bittersweet coming-of-age tale, another element which seems all too familiar. Nevertheless, McNicholl's book is ultimately more heartfelt and funny than it is redundant. McNicholl's title refers to Gabriel Harkin, the oldest of four children in a working-class Catholic family. Of course, it is a volatile time in which Gabriel is growing up. He and his family know there are strict rules which must be followed when it comes to religion and politics. Gabriel ultimately grasps he's different from the other kids around him (in many way, we learn). Yet he opts for silence and repression to cope. Little by little, however, Gabriel (along with the readers) learn that Gabriel may not be so different from those around him after all. Which does not mean it will be easy for McNicholl's characters to change their environment or face the future. McNicholl was born in Northern Ireland and attended college in Wales. He came to the U.S. in 1992 where he worked in New York City as an attorney. He now lives in Pennsylvania, and is working on his second novel. McNicholl's publishers are (of course) comparing "A Son Called Gabriel" to "Angela's Ashes," which is not necessary. This novel, though a bit melodramatic at times, stands well enough on its own. ($22.95/ 352 pages/ CDS Books)