Midlife Irish: Discovering My Family and Myself

by Frank Gannon

If Bill Bryson set off for Ireland to discover his roots, then you'd have MIDLIFE IRISH--an illuminating, entertaining, and heartwarming look at one man's search for where--and who--he came from. Irish-American. What does this vague term really mean? Millions of people describe themselves as Irish-American, but beyond celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a drunken zeal, how many of them know really anything about their cultural ancestry? It is this curiosity that got the better of Frank Gannon--the son of a couple of straight-off-the-boat Irish immigrants. His mother and father, who never spoke about life on the Emerald Isle, raised him in New Jersey, thousands of miles from Ireland. But after both his parents passed away, he realized he knew nothing about whom they really were and where they came from--and in effect, where he came from. Now at the half-way point in his life, Gannon decided to fill in the blanks. He embarked on a journey to Planet Green and slowly pieced together the lives of his parents. Before long, he discovered much about his mother and father, and just as much about himself. At times funny, poignant, and heartbreaking, MIDLIFE IRISH draws on the universal themes of love, loss, and laughter that have kept the Irish both miserable and happy--often at the same time--throughout the years. This story of one man's search for his cultural identity will have phones ringing off the hook at the Irish Board of Tourism, as readers will want to take off

Genres: Ireland

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Margie Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book if u have an Irish background. Author Frank Gannon has a great Irish sense of humor and I LOL'd at many of his descriptions of Irishness, which really hit home for me. During the book I wanted to jump on the next boat to Ireland, still do.

I didn't want their journey, or mine , to end.

[Meg Metzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book super enjoyable. Frank's Irish humor made me laugh out loud as I turned the pages...not the whole book, but definitely many lol moments. His truth when having the "disagreement day" with his wife in Athlone cracked me up, because we all have those days when traveling with a loved one for an extended period of time. I was glad that they took the first part of their trip to just amble and enjoy the island because that's the best part of traveling in Ireland. No turn is a wrong turn because there is always something pretty to see. (I just got back from my 10th trip) (Family there). Growing up as an Irish Catholic I could relate to so much of what he said about his childhood and his parents proclivities. I remember my Dad rejecting Angela's Ashes because Frank McCourt made the Irish look dirty and poor. My assessment then was that it hit too close to home about his parent's childhoods and he didn't want to associate with that (a message he took on board from his parents). Like other reviewers, I didn't want his adventures in Ireland to end because I loved hearing all about his travels. Loved the book and if he wrote more, I would read those, too!

[Peter OBrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding Irishnesss

I often wondered why I felt so at home visiting Ireland. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in this. I’ve often said that the feeling is like being in on the local joke and accepted for who you are.

[Regina DeVos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading MIDLIFE IRISH. I really enjoyed; it was a nice memoir of the author finding his roots in Ireland.

[Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I could relate, and found myself laughing out loud through most of it! His trip to Ireland to find where his parents were born and raised was an amazing experience, finding "home." A joy!

[Karen Fiandaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read especially for those of Irish descent and who have been to Ireland.