Stack of Spines

The follow-up to the bestselling Angela’s Ashes wasn’t as well received as the original by the media.  I think the shock value of the squalor and pain of McCourt’s early life went a long way, but for me, ‘Tis addressed what I was wondering while reading Angela’s Ashes — how did Frank and his brothers fare once they were “free” adults?  Would four surviving boys without a strong male role model be successful?  The answer is a mixed bag.

‘Tis picks up literally right where Angela’s Ashes left off with young McCourt, alone and friendless, on a boat to New York.  Though it wasn’t always in chronological order, it is structured so that it makes sense to the reader, spanning 1949-1985.

McCourt’s dry and literal writing style made me laugh out loud throughout.  His child-like understanding of the world around him in Ireland made for some funny moments when he was young, but the new world of New York City provided even more in the years after his immigration.

I was touched by McCourt’s notes on his hopes and dreams for his daughter.  Though he wants what is best for her, in some ways he did not succeed like I thought he would with her.  The explanation of his married life left a lot to be desired.

On the flip side, when I think about the triumph of his life as a teacher, he succeeded against all odds.  Staring down years of hard work before your life can really begin (unless you want to empty ashtrays forever) is disheartening and McCourt’s brutal honesty is a testament to the human spirit.  His years at NYU and first experiences in the classroom were my favorite parts of the memoir.  I loved how each time his new classes found out he never went to high school, he just picked himself up and kept going.  Classroom authority is so vital with teaching, and he managed to have a presence while also being realistic, and I think that helped him relate to his students all the more.

And for someone who has ever lost a parent before the parent physically died, I appreciated McCourt’s handling of his father later in life.  So often it is expected that we “forgive and forget” in order to heal and move on, but I disagree.  McCourt never forgot his father’s actions in his childhood, but he wasn’t bitter about it either; it was more of a que sera sera attitude.  McCourt used the experiences to make himself a better person and found a balance between being held back from bitterness of his disappointing start and completely disregarding that his father drank away everything he earned for 40+ years.

Most surprising was the continual tie-in to the title Angela’s Ashes in this book.  My heart went out to the helpless McCourt boys in Frank’s first work but my heart went out to McCourt’s strength of character in ‘Tis.