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Tasha's review

All Souls: A Family Story from Southie (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
by Michael Patrick MacDonald (Goodreads author!)

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105687.All_Souls_A_Family_Story_from_Southie?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="All Souls: A Family Story from Southie (Ballantine Reader's Circle)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171558335m/105687.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105687.All_Souls_A_Family_Story_from_Southie?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">All Souls: A Family Story from Southie</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51918.Michael_Patrick_MacDonald">Michael Patrick MacDonald</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2597137?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars So many people told me I was going to love this book. Most of them were amazed that I had never read it, having taught at Boston Collegiate Charter School, which was founded in the late 90's as a response to the alarming death rate among Southie teens. Most of my Collegiate students were from Southie, and they had Southie pride, through and through. I think that, in many ways, we misunderstood each other -- and I did most of the misunderstanding. I had only an inkling of an idea why my students hesitated to welcome me into their community. Now that I have read <a href="/search/search?q=+All+Souls&t=title"> All Souls</a>, I am so much more aware of why we didn't click -- and much of that has to do with me not fully grasping what it means to grow up in Southie. 
 
 <a href="/search/search?q=+All+Souls&t=title"> All Souls</a> is the astounding memoir of Michael Patrick MacDonald, born in Southie in the late 60's. He tells his story in a style that is both conversational and intimate. MacDonald is candid about Southie and his upbringing. He reveals his family’s involvement in the race riots around busing, the drug and violence epidemic, and Whitey Bulger's mob. He also writes about the loss of four of his siblings to tragedies such as suicide and murder. MacDonald imbues his memoir with stark emotions: love, hate, pride, and shame. I found myself getting caught up in these emotions, empathizing with MacDonald every step of the way.
 
 Everyone who recommended <a href="/search/search?q=+All+Souls&t=title"> All Souls</a> to me was right. I did love this book, and I cannot think of anyone who would not benefit from reading it. 
 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/86323?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Tasha's review
rating:
recommended for: everyone

So many people told me I was going to love this book. Most of them were amazed that I had never read it, having taught at Boston Collegiate Charter School, which was founded in the late 90's as a response to the alarming death rate among Southie teens. Most of my Collegiate students were from Southie, and they had Southie pride, through and through. I think that, in many ways, we misunderstood each other -- and I did most of the misunderstanding. I had only an inkling of an idea why my students hesitated to welcome me into their community. Now that I have read All Souls, I am so much more aware of why we didn't click -- and much of that has to do with me not fully grasping what it means to grow up in Southie.

All Souls is the astounding memoir of Michael Patrick MacDonald, born in Southie in the late 60's. He tells his story in a style that is both conversational and...more

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