A Long Stone's Throw

A Long Stone's Throw
by Alphie McCourt

A Long Stone's Throw
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Book Summary Information

Author: Alphie McCourt
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-11-04
ISBN: 0981453554
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Sterling & Ross Publishers
Product features:

Book Reviews of A Long Stone's Throw

Book Review: An interesting angle
Summary: 4 Stars

Alphie has reason to be envious of his older brothers Frank and Malachy who were both able to rise above their desperate situation to achieve prominence and great success, while he watched from a rear position ten years the junior. They were both born in the US so could and did emigrate freely, while Alphie had to struggle with the INS. By the time he arrived in America, his brothers were already gaining notoriety in literary, social, and academic circles, and would continue to rise especially in Frank's case to rather spectacular success, but envy never shows in this liltingly composed, down to earth story of the personal struggles of an everyday man trying to find a way in life, but not trying too terribly hard most of the time. It is a fascinating and frankly more fully believable extension of the situation endlessly described and then often repeated throughout Angela's Ashes. It turns out though that life in the old country improved considerably in the ensuing years, and it is a welcome relief to have this revealed. Like Angela's Ashes, this memoir sometimes offers a bit TMI. For instance, both seem to spend an inordinate amount of time discussing certain mortal sins of a highly personal nature if you get my drift. I found myself growing alternatingly weary of somewhat mundane details and then suddenly connecting powerfully to an emotion or event described. Hopefully I'll stop short of careening off to personally discuss these coincidences of nature with Alphie or at least sleep it off at a rest stop and reconsider in the morning.

Summary of A Long Stone's Throw

The McCourt family gained fame through the books of brothers Frank and Malachy and in the two popular documentaries that profiled them. In A Long Stone's Throw, the youngest McCourt, Alphie, adds his gifted voice to this literary chorus with a vivid, emotional memoir that starts in his native Limerick. Alone and dispirited after his brothers leave for America, Alphie flees Ireland as soon as he's able. He spends the remainder of his adolescence in New York, aimless and half drunk. A return to Ireland to study law is a dismal failure. Back in America, things aren't much better until he reconnects with, and eventually marries, the beautiful Lynn. Still, things are rough: their daughter Allison is born with difficulties, business success alternates with business failures, he continues to drink. Finally, after an epiphany on Route 80, McCourt learns to navigate, clear-eyed, the happy chaos of New York City, and of life itself.

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