Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Some books that I have recently read are "Angela's Ashes" and its sequals "Tis" and "Teacher Man" all by Frank McCourt.

The book "Angela's Ashes" tells the story of Frank growing up in Brooklyn, NY and his family's moving to Limerick, Ireland during the 1930s and 1940s. He describes his life of poverty and how the family dealt with or didn't deal with their hardships. Among the many hardships that complicated his upbringing, was the fact that his father was an alcoholic and spent all his available money (whenever he did work) on purchasing alcohol. In the end, Frank was able to raise enough money on his own to leave Ireland, and return to the USA.

The book "Tis" is a squeal to the book Angela's Ashes. It starts as Frank is arriving in America, and details the hardships that Frank endured making a life for himself in New York. Frank was very intelligent, but had no formal education to speak of. At this point, he realizes that he as well has inherited the bad drinking habits of his father. Frank is then able to get himself an education, and start a teaching career.

The book "Teacher Man" is a sequel to "Tis" and there Frank tells of his various teaching experiences in the various schools that he taught. He furthermore discusses marriage, children, and the subsequent moving of his Mother to New York from Ireland.

These books, while a story of poverty and suffering are very special, in that they tell a real story from the perspective of someone who was a child and has grown up. Frank used the life lessons that he was forced to learn at a young age and applied them in his everyday life as an adult.

I would therefore recommend the reading of these books.