I Am of Ireland: Women of the North Speak Out

``Northern Ireland is a law-abiding place. Where does the cruelty come from?'' These words of the widow of a former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland could serve as leitmotif for her spirited conversations with women of the North who startle us with their varying viewpoints. We hear from unionists and loyalists, upper-class and slum women, patriotic prison widows enunciating a party line and women brutalized because of religious or political affiliation. The range shatters the stereotype of Irish women as voiceless and subservient to their men. Shannon's interviews reverberate with contradiction, poignancy, passion and remarkable humor. Particularly moving is an interview with two attractive sisters who spent 10 years in an English prison on conspiracy charge. Shannon is the author of Up in the Park. (Jan.)