To use a word that appears often in the novel, "Time of the Child" is a miracle. Niall Williams' gorgeous, wry and humane book is set in the fictional Irish hamlet of Faha, where much of his work (which also includes "Four Letters of Love" and "This Is Happiness") takes place. It's 1962 and nearing Christmas, which is important because the events of the book - which are foreshadowed for 100 pages and then seem to happen all at once - recall the life of the figure for whom Christmas is named.