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271st out of 376 books
—
282 voters
Crisis, Pursued by Disaster, Followed Closely by Catastrophe: A Memoir of Life on the Run
by
Mike O'Connor (Goodreads Author)
Throughout his childhood, Mike O’Connor’s family pretended to be normal. But Mike and his two younger sisters knew that their parents were hiding something–a secret they didn’t dare talk about. The family appeared to be no different from any of their small-town Texas neighbors–that is, until suddenly, the O’Connor’s would flee, leaving with only a few hours’ notice, abando
...moreHardcover, 290 pages
Published
March 4th 2009
by Random House
(first published August 21st 2007)
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Well, the reason for his family's constant upheavel and paranoia was not what I expected. In fact, it was pretty overblown and enraging the way misunderstandings and fear escalated into what was probably an occasionally justified panic. I don't want to spoil the secret that kept his family on the run for decades, so I guess I'll just leave it at that. I couldn't wait to figure out the mystery and I read the book in one night. It's a fast read, well told, even if I am a morbid creature that felt...more
Oh, what a tangled web! O'Connor's memoir begins with his childhood memories of life on the run with his parents and two sisters. The family mystery continues into his adulthood. The author skillfully takes his readers in the last third of the book on his journey as he delves into his family's past to uncover the mountain of secrets that his parents took with them to their graves. There's a powerful message of acceptance and forgiveness in O'Connor's story.
A compelling memoir, starring parents who were at best dreamers, and at worst, seriously deluded. My parents were also a little on the nutty side, and although their nuttiness manifested differently from Mr. O'Connor's parents, I identified with the family system of benevolent lies. The system says: this thing that looks, quacks, and walks like a duck, is in fact a rolltop desk, or a rare breed of hippo, or your grandmother, and you must act accordingly. It's a story with humor, and intrigue, an...more
Crisis, Pursued by Disaster, Followed Closely by Catastrophe: A Memoir of Life on the Run is quite the title. And, coincidentally, it is quite the book. The author, Mike O’Connor, is a journalist who has worked for NPR, CBS and The New York Times covering conflicts from Central America to Yugoslavia to Israel and Palestine. He uses his journalistic talents to uncover a mystery that had torn his family apart, one that couldn’t be uncovered until both of his parents died.
About a year after his mot...more
About a year after his mot...more
I won this book on the Goodreads Giveaways. This is a memoir based on Mike O'Connors true life experiences. Mikes parents met and married while across seas, his father, a charismatic personality, serving in the military meets and marries hos true love. I thoroughly enjoyed Mike O'Connors narrative of his life experiences as he vividly describes his constant flight as a young boy; his family up and moving, throughout his growing up years, suddenly and without explanation, in a moments notice. He...more
Looking forward to reading this. My mother is loaning it to me after she said she couldn't put it down. It's being passed through the family as it's been written about the author's father and it turns out that he dated by grandmother back in the day. As the world turns....
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Read this for a book discussion group and found it intriguing because of the "secret" undisclosed until the end of the book - the fear that drove this family to keep fleeing. Throughout it was hinted that there was an immigration problem and because of my work history, this was especially interesting. The suggestions that alcohol was toying with the family dynamics was also interesting, although the author did not delve deeply into this topic - either because it was too painful, or perhaps becau...more
Cool! Dysfunctional, paranoid family life on the run... Makes my family look normal!
Mike O'Connor shares his story of an unconventional life growing up with parents who are constantly on the run, ready to pick up and move (often in the middle of the night)leaving behind belongings, pets and friends. Many times these moves were to a small town in Mexico where they lived a life hovering near poverty. After he grows up and becomes an investigative reporter for CBS, he uses his skills to solve the mystery about what made his parents run. Family secrets, dysfunctions, forgiveness an...more
This is a brave and touching book. Mike O'Connor and his sisters spend their childhoods on the run with their parents--some unseen, unknown adversary is pursuing them, but O'Connor does not solve the mystery until years after his parents' deaths. They live a life of paranoia and uncertainty, with nearly all odds against the children's future successes, yet the O'Connor siblings manage to create stable and productive lives of their own. To me, the most powerful and sad parts of the book were O'Co...more
I'm not a big reader of memoirs. Usually only if they are by historical or sports figures. This one isn't bad.
The author grew up knowing that his family was running from something, but not what. They would move to Mexico with only hours notice, leaving their house, belongings, even their pets behind. Panic would be just under the surface if they met with police officers, or authority figures of any kind.
It wasn't until his parents died that the author tries to investigate what they were running...more
The author grew up knowing that his family was running from something, but not what. They would move to Mexico with only hours notice, leaving their house, belongings, even their pets behind. Panic would be just under the surface if they met with police officers, or authority figures of any kind.
It wasn't until his parents died that the author tries to investigate what they were running...more
Don't want to spoil it for anyone who might read it or repeat any of the summaries. It's a compelling story and one I'm not sure could happen today; given the many ways we are tracked I think it would be pretty hard to drop out of sight, at least for very long. What the author discovered through his years-long effort to understand his parents' situation profoundly affected his identity as an individual and as part of a family. Though his family stayed intact, in some ways the story is similar to...more
The author, formerly a well-known journalist and reporter, writes the story of his life. His parents never explained the reasons that the family lived constantly on "alert" and in fear of authorities, fleeing from place to place for periods of time, until something happens to raise fear in his parents, and they are off again. His parents always tried to make it seem like the children were fortunate to have so many new experiences. but the children eventually came to resent the constant interrupt...more
This book's secondary title is "A Memoir of Life on the Run." The author is an NPR and New York Times reporter who, along with his two sisters, was dragged from pillar to post by his parents who were running for an undisclosed reason. The family would pick up on a moment's notice, move to Mexico, live in abject poverty, and then return to America where first-class, private schools were the norm. Throughout his life, they moved repeatedly in this fashion.
After his parents died, his family prevail...more
After his parents died, his family prevail...more
About a family on the run. The kids knew thier parents were hiding something but didn't know why. When they were much older. Mike went out to find the truth about why thier parents were always running from someone.
Stayed with me longer than I thought, so I impulsively added a star when I made this review.
Jul 25, 2011
Tori
added it
2008- Started off good, but lagged in the middle. Overall not as compelling as I had hoped.
This was a crazy book! A few expletives, but not gratuitous.
Excellemt book. well written concerning a family desperately fleeing from McCarthyism
Aug 25, 2007
Heather
marked it as to-read
Memoir. Reviewed by People, they gave it 4 stars. Looks intriguing: "His mother and father...continually moved with their three kids...claiming the family was in danger. They never said why or who was chasing them, and O'Connor wouldn't discover the truth until after his parents died, when he'd become a reporter for the New York Times and NPR. Part memoir, part investigative journalism..."
An interesting story, and not a book i would typically read, which I guess is partially why the score is lower than most of my others. I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in Communism. I thought his note about the authenticity was great, and I definitely did not step away rom this memoir, as I do most, skeptically wondering if any of that really happened...
Goodread by a goodreads author ! I REALLY enjoyed this book. My heart goes out to the child that was forced to live life on the run without understanding why . My mind admires the man this child has become , not only for his ability to survive such a childhood , but his courage to find out and understand why .
Sep 04, 2007
Amy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who liked The Prizewinner of Defianace, Ohio by Terry Ryan
Shelves:
biography
While not the same story, this tale has the same flavor or feel as The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio. O'Connor spends about 2/3 of the book building up to why his family was on the run for so long -- interesting tale and fascinating info. regarding the historical period and what the country was like 30-60 years ago.
This is a tragic story about a family on the run, and that impact on the kids. It's a memoir that the son wrote (recently) as an adult, who, after both his parents died, went back and after 10 years or so of investigating his family history discovered why they ran in the first place.
If you liked The Glass Castle, you will like this book about a boy and his childhood growing up on the run. The weird thing is he never knew what his parents were running from. As an adult, he uses all of his investigative journalistic skills to solve the mystery.
The author takes a long time setting up his story... and the mystery behind his parents' paranoia. The payoff is interesting but I don't know that I'd have made it the whole way if I hadn't been reading this while watching Olympic boxing & marathon.
Excellent writing and a gripping story, but the ending was rather an anti-climax. However, I would recommend it, if nothing else, for the illustration of undying, unwavering devotion between the two parents, regardless of the circumstances.
Fascinating memoir of a family on the run--but only the parents knew why. First part of book details the family's bizarre lifestyle from the oldest son's viewpoint; second part describes his search for the truth after both parents have died.
Memoir. This book was written so well I forgot it was about someone's real life and I kept wanting to read one more chapter to find out what the big secret was that his parents had been running from all those years.
Really interesting! I felt like it dragged a little at the end but I never lost interest. It really reminded me how much stability kids need. I can't imagine growing up like this!
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