Laura

by Alan Shatter

Laura is placed with adopters after her unmarried mother, Colette James, has been abandoned by Laura's father, Sean Brannigan T.D.

To her adopters, John and Jenny Masterson, Laura is their daughter and they love her dearly. Their world is turned upside down when they learn that Colette has changed her mind and wants Laura back.

264 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 1989

About the author

Alan has always been a resident of South Dublin . Originally living in Rathgar, when Alan was 4 his parents moved to Crannagh Park, Rathfarnham where he lived for 35 years. For the last 17 years Alan and his family have resided in Ballinteer.

Alan was a pupil in Rathgar National School and then High School. He obtained a Law Degree in Trinity College Dublin and attended the Europa Instituut of the University of Amsterdam where he studied European Law, Politics and Economics. As a teenager, Alan played schoolboy league Soccer and was an athlete competing for both High School and for Crusaders Athletic Club. He was High School Athletics Captain for two years and obtained his university athletic colours running for Trinity College .

More recently, Alan played League Table Tennis for some years with Dundrum Table Tennis Club.

As a student, Alan was Director of the Crumlin Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) and later became Chairman of FLAC. He subsequently became Chairman of CARE (Campaign for Deprived Children) and was for many years President of the Irish Council against Blood Sports.

In 1976 Alan qualified as a Solicitor. In 1977 he became partner with Brian Gallagher and the well known solicitor’s practice of Gallagher Shatter came into being. In 1977 he published “Family Law in the Republic of Ireland ” the first major academic and social commentary on Irish family law. This work which is now in its 4 th Edition has regularly been relied upon and referred to by members of the judiciary in judgments delivered in many major Irish family law cases. Each Edition has contained many proposals for family law reform originated by Alan Shatter designed to transform and modernise the Irish legal system. As a Dail Deputy Alan was instrumental in the implementation of many of these reforms.

In 1979 Alan published a satirical work “Family Planning Irish Style” which poked fun at the then ludicrous contraceptive laws which made it a criminal offence to sell condoms and which interfered with people’s right to privacy. In 1989 Alan published a novel “Laura”. Both publications featured as best sellers.

In the period 1979 to 1981, Alan regularly featured on the Gay Byrne Radio Show answering listener’s questions about personal and legal issues and he has over the years been a regular participant in current affairs and other programmes on television and radio.

Whilst making a noticeable impact on national politics as a reforming legislator willing to confront controversial issues, Alan continued to maintain his involvement with his law firm Gallagher Shatter. The firm has grown over the years and has been involved in many landmark cases. Whilst Alan is well known for his work in family law his legal firm was instrumental in having income tax laws which discriminated against married couples declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. It also was successful in obtaining a decision from the European Court to end social welfare discrimination against married women. In the early 1990’s, his law firm took the first successful case to obtain damages for a former altar boy sexually abused by a priest and it was represented many victims of institutional sexual abuse before the Redress Board which conducts its hearings in Clonskeagh.

Alan Shatter is one of the few solicitors who regularly acts as an Advocate in both the High Court and Supreme Court. He is a former Consultant on Family Law to the Law Society of Ireland and continues to lecture occasionally and write on family law issues. He is also an accredited ADR Group/Friary Law Mediator and a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Reviews

[Margaret Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this in 1989 and like the cover says " A novel you will never forget ".

Who should keep the adopted baby? The birth mother who changes her mind after 14 months, or the adoptive parents to whom she is their world?

Although the first few pages are quite dated and a bit cheesy, it is worth it as the story grips you and doesn't let go until the last page.

Due for re release soon from Poolbeg

[Natasha]

Not quite the raunchy novel the media led me to expect, from our Minister for Justice. Hard not to picture him when reading it. Entertaining read which keeps you guessing to the end. But definitely falls into my category, along with 'Brooklyn', of 'would be considered chick lit if it was written by a woman'.

[Kristen Foran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, a moral dilemma which will have readers divided. Definitely not the raunchy story it has been touted as! The book has been updated since original publication to make it appear to be set in current time. This hasn't been done well and was not necessary, it makes the story less plausible.

[Billy Buttons]

Found this book to be very good, was reading it day and night, and it was so easy and enjoyable to read. The writer kept me in suspense til the end. I was wrote by an irish writer and based in Dublin.

[Miriam Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book club for October. Great idea for a story but impossible to seperate the story from the author.