Genealogy Books - Angela's Ashes

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Summary: Poverty sucks!!!!
Comment:
Do you like to read autobiography? Then, Angela's Ashes was written for you. The book is a
non-fiction work. In 1938, Frank McCourt and his family lived in America. Later that year, his
sister was born and died one night when she was an infant. His alcoholic father and his pious
defeated mother and Frank and his brother's moved back to Limerick, Ireland.
This book is a
classic, of what an Irish childhood was like living in poverty. Frank McCourt made it clear from
his book that Irish Catholic childhood his miserable.
Frank was a poor boy who lived in
America after the death of his sister Margaret. His mom couldn't stay in the house. She would
often hear Margaret and smell her and see her even though...They move back to Ireland. Were it's
worse then America. When they got to Limerick the Irish people lived in poor houses they were
starving. Frank's father who has a problem with drinking. Who can't hold a job, when he gets a job
he gets paid, spends it on beer. Angela Frank's mom is sad, loves her family, but hates her husband
for drinking. Angela's mother doesn't like Malachy, which is Frank's dads' name. They don't like
him because his from the north. So one-day Frank's dad left and never came back. It was hard on
his mother, frank got a job. They had to move out of their house they lived with some guy. Who
control his mother....
I've reviewed this this autobiography and I loved it. The way his
family believed in the Catholic Church how much love and strength they had for one another. The
survival of Frank and his brother's is what the book is mainly about. They were poor and hungry.
This book inspired me and made me feel good about myself that I come from a culture that takes care
of me. If you read this book I hope you have a new perspective on you life.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A review by A. Zimmel
Comment: One may look back on their childhood to remember the once joyful and free-spirited moments of life.
This is not, however, true in Frank McCourt's case. When reviewing his childhood, all that comes to
mind is devastation, death and poverty that followed the lives of so many families in the time
period. Through his autobiography, Angela's Ashes, McCourt depicts the depressing Irish Catholic
childhood he woke up to face each morning.
Born in New York in the 1930's into the house of a
miserable cigarette-addicted mother, Angela, and an alcoholic father, Malachy, who spends most of
the money he earns on buying pints at the local bar, Frank McCourt is immediately given much to deal
with. Being the oldest of seven children in his family, Frank has much more responsibility then the
average child today has ever experienced. Frank's father figure returns home each night completely
drunk singing songs of Irish patriotism while abusing and shouting at his family, providing no
example for his sons to look up to. His father's behavior changes for a brief period of time when
Frank's mother gives birth to a young girl, Margaret. His father stops drinking and begins working
for the good of the family, however, it isn't long before this "tiny angel" passes away, destroying
all hope of the family's success. Never again would Frank's father show such devotion to saving his
family. The devastating loss of their only daughter made if unbearable for the family to stay in
America with complete memory of the child. The McCourts move to Ireland, which Frank later admits
was the worst decision they could have made at that time.
Reaching Ireland with not a cent,
the McCourts first find shelter with their father's relatives then their mother's siblings until
finally they could settle under a roof of their own in Limerick. Frank and his brother, Malachy, are
sent to a strict Catholic school while his father finds a job to support the family. Their
conditions, however, do not improve and it is not long before their father looses his job and two of
Frank's youngest brothers become ill and pass away. There seems to be no hope of a better future for
the McCourts in these new surroundings. The family is soon forced to beg neighbors and churches near
by for food or money. They grow weak and desperate with what seems to be a slim chance of survival.
Numerous nights consist of Frank's drunken father returning home to his silent mother smoking and
starring blankly into the ash filled fire place, eyes full or tears. So many nights the McCourts
spend freezing in their beds with not a single flame in the fire place or a hot scrap of food on the
table. One night, the McCourt's result to picking up scraps of wood along the River Shannon. "She
says that's what she missed most of all in America, the River Shannon. The Hudson was lovely but the
Shannon sings. I can't hear the song but my mother does and that makes her happy. Mam tells us
gather anything that burns along the Dock Road; coal, wood, cardboard, paper. She says, There are
them that burn the horse droppings but we're not gone that low yet" (69). To me, McCourt's writing
comes off as a intriguing style that I have never seen before. McCourt is able to depict such a
compelling story of his miserable childhood so vividly that it makes one feel very sympathetic while
reading. The conditions he lived under are unimaginable, and it is extraordinary he survived such a
challenging youth.
The book concludes with Frank's father finally deciding to move to England
and work in the factories to make money that will support his family. As usual, he is not always
faithful to his words, and most weeks spends the money on alcohol. As a result, the McCourts can no
longer pay their rent and are forced out of their home and move in with their mother's relative. At
the age of fifteen, Frank longs to be independent and takes off to become a self-responsible man,
finding a job as s mailman in the local post office. It is at this time that he realizes he has had
enough of the desperate life in Ireland and decides to save each bit of many he earns to buy a
ticket to America, the land of hope and dreams.
Angela's ashes represent the ashes which fall
from her cigarettes and the ash-filled fire place Angela stars at so blankly each day. As she
revolves so many of her days around these ashes, the book begins to obtain an ashy feel of its own.
It is a dark, lifeless and sunless feel that coats the novel. The ashes represent Angela's crumbled
dreams of raising a healthy family with a supportive responsible father. Instead, Angela is left
with cigarettes for comfort and the warmth of smoldered ashes in the fireplace. Angela's Ashes not
only opened my eyes to the true extent of misery one's childhood can possess but also showed me how
unexpected life can be when under the most deprived of situations a family is able to survive. />

Customer Rating:

Summary: Read this and think how lucky we all are
Comment: A quite breathtaking read, I couldn't put down. Its hard to believe the harsh reality of life and
poverty that gripped Ireland not that long ago. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't
fiction but a true account of McCourts early life. Well written with humour and surprisingly no
bitterness. A must read for anyone who thinks their lot in life isn't so good.

Customer Rating:

Summary: One Of A Kind
Comment: Yes....it's about an Irish childhood, according to Mr. McCourt the worst childhood you could ever
have in those years.

I am just one of the millions that have read this book, making me one of
McCourt's fan.

Why I like this book?. Firt of all, I am no Irish (I'm an asian) ; I had no idea
how bad growing up in Europe would be like in those days. I've seen movies and all ...but with this
book, I can actually not only picture his life, but feeling the hardship he and his family went
through. He showed me very clearly life in Ireland was at the time...and at the same time, showed me
how beautiful Ireland is too !.

It made me realize, no matter what you are, where you come from,
who you are, what your belief is,..the concept of life is the same everywhere. He made me looked
back on my own childhood and really value it.

I have also read the sequel "'Tis"...and I can't
wait for the next one "The Teacher Man"..will be released in November this year!.

To me, he is a
very one of a kind writer. I definitely agree when one of his professors told him he's got a 'rich
past(childhood)'. I also like his way of writing...it's almost like he's speaking his mind right out
to me when I'm reading it.

Frank McCourt is definitely one of my favourites.

Customer Rating:

Summary: You should really read this book...
Comment: I have read and re-read this book and I love it. Triumph over adversity is always a good read! I
went on to read the sequel- "'Tis" and also loved it.

Back to Angela's Ashes

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