Very rarely do we come across a book that makes a difference in our lives. Such a book evokes emotion and makes us think about our lives in a different perspective. Some of these books makes us appreciate the things we do have and realize it's the little things in life that truly make a difference. Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" is such a memoir. His compelling story of an Irish life turns your thoughts to the important things in life like the love of a mother. His story leaves you with a new appreciation of life and the strong desire to share his story with everyone you and possibly don't know.
The memoir starts when the author was a mere boy of four and continues until he is about nineteen years old. He goes through the trials and hardship he and his family endured as well as the good times. The way he does the dialogs makes the reader feel a part of the story, as if we are sitting right there as it is happening. His descriptions are remarkable; you can picture the misty Shannon and the run down homes they lived in. We see the extents a mother will go to, just so that her children can have the smallest bits of food. He has the ability to gracefully move from heartache and pain to joy and laugher.
This is a memoir that will be difficult to set down, even if you wanted to. You are constantly left wanting more, even as the memoir ends. You wonder what happens after he moves to America, does his family follow, is his life better and so much more. Those questions are answered in the second edition "'Tis." While reading this book, you get attached to McCourt, and see things that may resemble your life in one form or another. From beginning to end, his words grip at your heart and you see the ability of the human spirit in times of distress.
"Angela's Ashes" has won many awards including the Pulitzer Prize for literature and the Abby award. Once you read this memoir you will see why it has won so many awards and will be read for generations to come. You will see why it should be taught as Elie Wisel's "Night," because it teaches so much in so little amount. Pick up a copy today and see for yourself why this book has changed lives across the nation.
