No one would ever think that their childhood was an important enough story to be told, let alone being a best selling novel. Growing up I had never imagined that my life was different enough from anyone else's that it would one day become "my story". If I were to sum up my childhood in one word, it would be "Angela". Angela Sheehan was my mother and the strongest women I have ever gotten to know. She gave me so many things, and the only way I could ever begin to repay her was to dedicate my autobiography to her.
The novel Angela`s Ashes is the story of my childhood. The novel depicts my parents, my siblings, all my Irish relatives and I as we lived our lives in Limerick, Ireland. Life was hard because we were less fortunate trying to survive in Ireland during the war. The novel starts off with me as a young child, just beginning to understand things in the early stages of life. I would sit and try to wrap my head around what was going on and why it was happening. As a young boy I would try to make sense of it all, but it all just seemed like a blur.
As I grew older I began to understand my role in the family. I was a son, and now an older brother. I knew I would someday grow up and end up supporting my mother. My father was Irish, and really that's all to it. I never really got to see much of him. Other than tea in the morning and being woken up when he came home drunk, I never really spent time with him. Soon after we moved into Limerick, Ireland I began attending school. Education we were told was a privileged, but at the time it seemed more like a chore. The only thing we were ever interested in was reading. As I've said before “I don't know what it means and I don't care because it's Shakespeare and it's like having jewels in my mouth when I say the words.”
Our conditions were always getting worst. We were forced to live in slums and after some time after being evicted had to move into someone else's home. My father was of no help, constantly drinking away any money my mother managed to get, including our dole. My mother had thought that after my father went to England to fight in the war, that all our fortunes would change, but we all felt that disappointment as we were left empty handed every time the telegram passed by. It came as no surprise to me that my father was now out of the picture and it was my turn to help the family. I quite enjoyed not having to attend school anymore. It made me feel like a real man, going to work every day and bringing home wages to support my family.
It was not long before I realized that this was no life to live, that it was now or never. Me not writing that telegram boy exam was no accident, I didn't want to be solidified into the same job for the rest of my life, so I made a change. I went out of my way to save up to go to America, and I freed myself. It was a choice I had to make and it was a bitter sweet moment when I did. Leaving behind my mother and younger siblings, only to take my 19 year old self to America to live what I wanted to be a "free life". I am forever grateful for what my mother did for me and I will always be in debt to Angela Sheehan.
The novel Angela`s Ashes is the story of my childhood. The novel depicts my parents, my siblings, all my Irish relatives and I as we lived our lives in Limerick, Ireland. Life was hard because we were less fortunate trying to survive in Ireland during the war. The novel starts off with me as a young child, just beginning to understand things in the early stages of life. I would sit and try to wrap my head around what was going on and why it was happening. As a young boy I would try to make sense of it all, but it all just seemed like a blur.
As I grew older I began to understand my role in the family. I was a son, and now an older brother. I knew I would someday grow up and end up supporting my mother. My father was Irish, and really that's all to it. I never really got to see much of him. Other than tea in the morning and being woken up when he came home drunk, I never really spent time with him. Soon after we moved into Limerick, Ireland I began attending school. Education we were told was a privileged, but at the time it seemed more like a chore. The only thing we were ever interested in was reading. As I've said before “I don't know what it means and I don't care because it's Shakespeare and it's like having jewels in my mouth when I say the words.”
Our conditions were always getting worst. We were forced to live in slums and after some time after being evicted had to move into someone else's home. My father was of no help, constantly drinking away any money my mother managed to get, including our dole. My mother had thought that after my father went to England to fight in the war, that all our fortunes would change, but we all felt that disappointment as we were left empty handed every time the telegram passed by. It came as no surprise to me that my father was now out of the picture and it was my turn to help the family. I quite enjoyed not having to attend school anymore. It made me feel like a real man, going to work every day and bringing home wages to support my family.
It was not long before I realized that this was no life to live, that it was now or never. Me not writing that telegram boy exam was no accident, I didn't want to be solidified into the same job for the rest of my life, so I made a change. I went out of my way to save up to go to America, and I freed myself. It was a choice I had to make and it was a bitter sweet moment when I did. Leaving behind my mother and younger siblings, only to take my 19 year old self to America to live what I wanted to be a "free life". I am forever grateful for what my mother did for me and I will always be in debt to Angela Sheehan.
“A mother's love is a blessing |
“Love her as in childhood |