Present Based On Books All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
| Title | : | All Souls: A Family Story from Southie |
| Author | : | Michael Patrick MacDonald |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 263 pages |
| Published | : | October 3rd 2000 by Ballantine Books (first published September 25th 1999) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Autobiography. Memoir. Biography. History |
Michael Patrick MacDonald
Paperback | Pages: 263 pages Rating: 4.09 | 10629 Users | 828 Reviews
Ilustration Concering Books All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"--the Irish-American Old Colony projects of South Boston--where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest concentration of impoverished whites in the U.S. In All Souls, MacDonald takes us deep into the secret heart of Southie. With radiant insight, he opens up a contradictory world, where residents are besieged by gangs and crime but refuse to admit any problems, remaining fiercely loyal to their community. MacDonald also introduces us to the unforgettable people who inhabit this proud neighborhood. We meet his mother, Ma MacDonald, an accordion-playing, spiked-heel-wearing, indomitable mother to all; Whitey Bulger, the lord of Southie, gangster and father figure, protector and punisher; and Michael's beloved siblings, nearly half of whom were lost forever to drugs, murder, or suicide. MacDonald’s story is ultimately one of overcoming the racist, classist ideology he was born into. It's also a searing portrayal of life in a poor, white neighborhood plagued by violence and crime and deeply in denial about it.Details Books Toward All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
| Original Title: | All Souls: A Family Story from Southie |
| ISBN: | 034544177X (ISBN13: 9780345441775) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | American Book Award (2000), Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award (2000), Boston Author's Club Award (2000) |
Rating Based On Books All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
Ratings: 4.09 From 10629 Users | 828 ReviewsRate Based On Books All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
All Souls was a real eye-opener for me. I decided to read it because of Whitey Bulger's recent arrest, but I took much more from it than I expected to. I'm a somewhat new resident of Boston; I've been here for about six years. This book reminds me that you can live in a city for a long time- forever, maybe- and not genuinely know it. I'm not super familiar with Southie; I've been there a handful of times. I'm not even sure if the Southie described in this book still exists. Even the parts of Alla sad, yet engrossing, memoir of a guy who grew up in southie (the poor irish neighborhood in south boston) during the busing riots of the 1970's. i've lived in the boston area for most of the past 6 1/2 years, but i really didn't know much about southie other than that it was poor, white, and not the best place to be after dark. one of the things i loved about this book was that it showed the community that exists behind and beyond that stereotype.what this book really showed me was how a
This book was a strange roller coaster. The first chapter had me riveted, then I slogged through subsequent chapters like a kid taking bitter medicine. I knew it was good for me but my soul felt like it had cramps. I learned a ton from this book about the complexities of the Southie identity, and the history of the busing movement in Boston, and the book's ending was fascinating (and redeeming). I cannot imagine having such a story to tell, and I appreciate that it has been told. However, having
MacDonald, an exemplary storyteller, expertly weaves his passion for social justice into a narrative about his childhood in Southie, creating a believable, emotional memoir.
I love autobiographies as no two lives are ever alike. Pride comes from within and Michael Patrick McDonald born in 1966 tells his tale of family roots, which run deep in the white poverty stricken terrain of South Boston known to all as Southie. Tough mothers ruled fatherless homes, while organized crime boss James Whitey Bulger Jr. (the same Bulger who in the 21st Century after publication of this book would become #2 on the FBI world most wanted list behind Osama bin Laden) ruled the welfare
So many people told me I was going to love this book. Most of them were amazed that I had never read it, having taught at Boston Collegiate Charter School, which was founded in the late 90's as a response to the alarming death rate among Southie teens. Most of my Collegiate students were from Southie, and they had Southie pride, through and through. I think that, in many ways, we misunderstood each other -- and I did most of the misunderstanding. I had only an inkling of an idea why my students
MacDonald, an exemplary storyteller, expertly weaves his passion for social justice into a narrative about his childhood in Southie, creating a believable, emotional memoir.
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