This memoir truly stuck with my after I read it. Mccourt is such an honest storyteller, and did not try to paint it any other way than exactly how it happened. Reading through his childhood experience and knowing that from those beginnings he was able to write that memoir and publish it for others to read showed me the strength of the human spirit and how no matter the circumstances, every person has the potential to make something positive out of a difficult experience.
I still find it hard to believe what I read was a true account. Mccourt writes with such direct and undramatic style, but the reaction is still so intense. While reading this book I couldn't help but find myself in his shoes, living with him in those conditions, and the tragedies that happened in his childhood. It is a coming of age story that struck me more than others, not only because of the reality of it, but because of how little he had and how much he made from it.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, it was not easy for me to read through all of it. Even with the humorous anecdotes and parts of the story I couldn't help but laugh with, I still felt an immense amount of sadness knowing that this was and still is the life that children around the world grow up in. It broke my heart to get such an in-depth view of the author's life, but rewarding nonetheless. It definitely made me appreciate my life that much more, and admire the author for having the will to become an adult and lead a successful life after such a difficult beginning.
