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All Souls : A Family Story from Southie
All Souls A Family Story from Southie
Author: Michael Patrick MacDonald
Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"--the 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...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780345441775
ISBN-10: 034544177X
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 286
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 101

3.8 stars, based on 101 ratings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
A story of growing up in the Irish ghetto of South Boston. A fascinating but disturbing picture of mostly fatherless families in a culture of crime and drugs where everybody thinks they live in the best place in the world.
Erinyes avatar reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 279 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
Incredible. It was less like he was recounting his family's history and more like he was looking under the rocks of his past. The family history is somehow both tragic and triumphant. Despite all of the perils in place, they manage to love each other desperately. They still can laugh and hug and hope. Well worth the read. I highly recommend it.
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This is was a pretty inspiring story, but kind if typical. Young kid that grows up in a rough neighborhood and still manages to make good as an adult. Not that I am taking away from what he has accomplished, it is nothing short of amazing after what he has been through in life.

My parents in law both grew up in Southie at the same time as the author, I asked them about some of the things in the book and although they remember some of the things (busing riots and Whitey's presence) they felt as though some of the stories were a bit exaggerated, although they admit they did not grow up in the projects as the author did.

All in all a pretty good read, I have always grown up knowing there is a lot of history right in my own backyard, but didn't realize so much of it was this recent.
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 31 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
A wonderful memior about the dark side of a neighborhood many Boston Irish love.
TheLankyYankee avatar reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 81 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Absolutely devastating account of growing up in one of the worst projects in America.
Read All 26 Book Reviews of "All Souls A Family Story from Southie"

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reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 5 more book reviews
I thought this book was excellently written, and it really gave a new dimension to my life in Boston.
Iluvgoldens avatar reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 104 more book reviews
Memoir about a poor Irish family growing up in South boston.
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 49 more book reviews
Community and gang loyalty in South Boston - a Book-of-the-Month Club selection
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 469 more book reviews
"This is an extraordinary family story about an extraordinary place called Southie. It is a story of a young man climbing a mountain of violence, to emerge with love and hope." Howard Zinn, author
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 8 more book reviews
Riveting story of a down on their luck family in South Boston. Despite the economic hardship and violence, this is a close and loving family. Amazing story of life in South Boston.
Dalaiwmn avatar reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 14 more book reviews
I absolutely adored this story.
reviewed All Souls : A Family Story from Southie on + 5 more book reviews
This was a great book on real life during hard times in a big city. Being a Southern girl it was an experience to see the other side of the "coin".


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