3. What could be worse than growing up in America during the
Great Depression? If you ask Frank McCourt, he might answer,
Growing up in extreme poverty in Ireland. Frank McCourt is a
retired public-school teacher born in New York at the beginning of
the Great Depression. His alcoholic father and struggling mother
decided to move the family back to Limerick, Ireland, when McCourt
was four, only to find that their move did not improve their desperate
circumstances. Angelas Ashes is McCourts bestselling memoir of
growing up in extreme poverty, first in New York and then in Ireland,
where he lived until he was nineteen. I think Angelas Ashes is a truly
excellent book
5. Although Angelas Ashes presents a sad picture
of McCourts childhood, its tone is not self-pitying.
McCourt describes the sad actions of adults in great
detail, but he balances those descriptions with
humor and affection. He notes that the familys
financial problems were caused by his fathers
drinking, but the overall picture of his father is
tenderly drawn. In short, unlike many stories of a
difficult childhood, A n g e l a s Ashes has a loving
and forgiving tone.
7. McCourts marvelous writing style also makes
this book a joy to read. Run-on sentences like this one
perfectly capture the thought and speech patterns of
a child
犖犢犖犖ム犖犖迦牽犢犖犖朽権犖犖犖園犖犢犖迦犖犖萎犖園犢犖 犢犖÷犖犖犖犢犖 犖∇険犖犖犖迦犖犢
犖÷元犖犖о顕犖÷肩犖伍犢犖犖犖迦牽犖犢犖迦犖犖犖園犖犖劇賢犢犖ム犖÷犖朽 犢犖犖朽権犖犢犖犢犢犖犖犖犖萎犖∇犢犖犢犖犖∇犖迦
犖犖÷犖項牽犖犢犢犖犖 犖犖園犖犖о顕犖÷犖巌犢犖ム鍵犖犖項犢犖犖犖犖迦牽犖犖項犖犖犖犢犖犢犖:
8. Mam wets an old towel and scrubs my face
till it stings, she wraps the towel around her
finger and sticks it in my ears and claims theres
enough wax there to grow potatoes. She were
my hair to make its lie down she tells me to shut
up and stop the whining .
犢犖÷犖犖伍犖犢犖迦犖犖犖犖項犖犢犖迦犢犖ム鍵犖犖園犖犖犢犖迦犖犖犖犖園犖犖犖÷険犖犖犖о犢犖犖 犖犖ム犖犖
犖犖園犖犢犖迦犖犖犖犖項牽犖犖犖犖巌犖о犖犖犖犖ム犖犖 犢犖ム鍵犢犖犖犖÷険犖犖ム犢犖犢犖犖犖項犖犖犖犖園 犢犖ム鍵
犖犢犖迦犖о犖迦検犖朽犖朽犖犖謹犖犖÷顕犖犖犖犖犖朽犖犖萎犖ム弦犖犖÷険犖犖犖犖園犖 犢犖犖犖犖ム犖犖∇犖犢犖犖÷犖犖犖犖園犖ム 犢犖犖
犖犖犖犢犖犢犖犖園犢犖犖朽権犖犢犖ム鍵犖犖∇幻犖犖犢犖
9. In addition, vivid details and dialogue bring the story
and the characters to life. For example, McCourts
description of the familys tiny house, with the lavatory
for the whole lane outside the front door,
the lake in the kitchen when the River Shannon floods,
and the ever- present dampness, allows the reader to
see the miserable poverty of McCourts childhood.
Conversations with family members, teachers, and social
workers are recounted word for- word ,making the
memoir come alive for the reader
犖犖犖犖犖迦犖犖朽犖∇険犖犖÷元犖犖迦権犖ム鍵犢犖犖朽権犖犢犖ム鍵犖犖犖犖犖犖犖迦犖朽犖犖園犢犖犖犖犖迦犖犖劇犖犖犖犖迦硯犢犖ム鍵犖犖園硯犖ム鍵犖犖犢犖犖∇険犖犖犖迦牽
犖犖迦牽犖犖犖朽硯犖巌 犖∇犖犖園硯犖犖∇犖迦犢犖犢犖 犖犖迦賢犖犖巌犖迦権犖犖犖犢犖÷犖犖犖犢犖犢犖犖朽犖∇硯犖犖園犖犢犖迦犢犖ム犖 犢 犖犖犖犖犖犖犖犖犖犖園硯犖犖朽犖÷元犖犢犖犖犖犢犖
犖犖迦見犖犖園犖犢犖犖犖犖園犖犖犢犖迦犖犖犖犢犖ム鍵犖犖犢犖迦犖犖萎犖項犢犖迦"犖犖萎犖ム肩犖迦犢犖犖犖犖園硯" 犢犖÷厳犢犖犢犖÷犖犢犖迦犖犖犖犖犖犖犢犖о検 犢犖ム鍵
犖犖о顕犖÷犖劇犖犖犖朽犖÷元犖犖犖萎犖園犖 犖犢犖о権犢犖犢犖犖項犖犢犖迦犢犖犢"犢犖犢犖"犖犖о顕犖÷権犖迦犖犖犖犖朽犖÷元犖犖о顕犖÷肩犖伍犢犖犖о険犖∇犖犢犖犖犖犖 犢犖÷犖犖犖犢犖
犖犖迦牽犖犖犖犖犖迦犖園犖犖÷顕犖犖巌犢犖犖犖犖犖犖犖犖園硯 犖犖犖項賢犖迦犖迦牽犖∇犢犖ム鍵犖犖園犖犖÷犖犖犖犖迦犖犖萎犖項犢犖ム犖迦犖迦犢犖犖犖 犖犖迦犖犢
犖犖朽硯犖巌犖犖犖萎犖迦硯犖園犖÷元犖犖朽硯犖巌犖犖朽硯犖迦肩犖迦見犖犖園犖犖項犖犢犖迦
10. Angela s Ashes is a great book. Any reader
who enters McCourts world will discover that
even a cold and wet Ireland could not dampen a
childs spirit.
