A book that has all the hallmarks of a classic. This memoir is told by the author with humour, compassion and forgiveness, despite the tragedy that seems to dog the family. Born during the depression era in Brooklyn, USA to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. His mother has no money to feed them and his father rarely works and when he does it gets spent on alcohol. It is a story of survival - poverty, near starvation and the cruelty of people.

Here are the General BookRing rules:

1. When you receive the book, make a journal entry.
2. Read the book, within 30 days, and make a journal entry to tell us what you have thought about the book.

Please remember, that there are other readers patiently waiting to read the book after you. Please bear this in mind! If you tend to be a slow reader, like myself, and need the month to finish the book, please make a periodic journal entry indicating how far you are into the story, or thoughts about what you have read so far. This way we know that the book has not been forgotten in your ‘to-be-read’ pile.

3. When you have finished reading it, send a private message (PM) to the next person in line for their address. If they do not respond within three days, PM them again. If they do not respond within a week of your first message, PM the person after them and contact me.
4. Send the book to the next person in line, make release notes/a journal entry to say when the book is leaving your hands and who'll be catching it next, and pop it into the post!
5. To the last person on the list return the book to me.
AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, ENJOY!


gwilk [Christchurch, NZ]
rarsberry [Dunedin, NZ]
Back to me priceliss

Shared by priceliss as a bookring. Thank-you! I am looking forward to reading it.

I sure choose pretty depressing Christmas reading. Strangely addictive, even if quite horrible. I guess it gives me an insight into what abject poverty means - or at least meant 50 years ago in Ireland. Thanks priceliss, I will now PM rarsberry.

Got this in the mail today, thanks gwilk for sending it.
I will start it after I finish the two other books I am currently reading!!

Finally started reading this yesterday. (Friday 1)

Finished the last few pages today.
A tough life for such a young boy and his family.
We are lucky these days not to have that much trouble.
Hopefully the story continues well for him.