Helpful Score: 12
This book won the Pullitzer prize and is excellent. It is hard to understand the kind of poverty that drove so many immigrants to this country. This book recalls the Northern Ireland childhood of the author and is the story of his family and their survival. An amazing story that is, in a way, the story of many of our grandparents who came here to find a better life not only for themselves but their decendants- us. If you are not grateful, you will be after reading this book.
Helpful Score: 10
This is a very moving and heart wrenching story of a young boy's life. It details life in Ireland, in the poorest sections of town, most of the time in gruesome and honest detail. I'm glad I read it, but it's not for everyone. It deals with severe alcoholism, emotional and physical neglect of infants and children; and basically , "man's inhumanity towards man".
Helpful Score: 9
I had never heard of this book before coming on PBS...I saw it when I did the search option, and thought it sounded good, and it is now one of my top favorite books of all time. What a great book, and now that I have it, I don't know if I will part with my copy or not. :-) I highly recommend it, very very good reading.
Helpful Score: 8
One of those books that horrifies and facinates at the same time. To think that "modern" times can still have such challenges as the characters in this book were faced with is hard to think about. However, McCort's written voice (heck, you can almost hear the broge while reading it) and the written tone is light in many places, and the missunderstandings and misshaps caused by such utter "ignorance" of the time and place are often hysterical.
Helpful Score: 8
This was a wonderful book in many ways - whose story I need not describe here since it has become so well known - but personally I became more and more disturbed by Frank's father and his utter failure in his role as protector and provider for his family. What he allowed to happen to his family, because of his own weaknesses, was unforgiveable, and Frank's hopeful attempts to see the best when his father would come 'round again were heartbreaking.
