Michael macdonald when the book begins, an adult michael macdonald is visiting the south boston neighborhood where he was raised. The memoir examines themes of family, racism, xenophobia, police corruption, and justice, all set against the backdrop of one familys tragedy. It examines his experiences growing up in the old colony neighborhood of south boston, also known as southie. In this plainly written, powerful memoir, macdonald, now 32, details not only his own story of growing up in southie, boston s irish catholic enclave, but examines the myriad ways in which the media a. Michael patrick macdonald grew up in south bostons old colony housing project. A family story of south boston, by michael patrick macdonald, the author tells us from his point of view what it was like to live in these conditions during a time of controversy. All souls takes place in the late 70s when the issue of busing and desegregation dominated boston as well as national headlines. In all souls, macdonald takes us deep into the secret heart of southie. These dynamics exist today for other families who live in other places and look nothing like the macdonalds of south boston.
A family story from southie and millions of other books are. They stood in a single file that reached from the altar to the street outside, waiting to say the names of their children whod died in south boston. Remembering busing in south boston with michael patrick. Back then, south boston was 97 percent white, according to a neighborhood profile conducted by the boston redevelopment authority. Rocked by whitey bulgers crime schemes and busing riots, macdonalds southie is populated by sharply hewn characters like his ma, a miniskirted, accordionplaying single mother who endures the deaths of. Michael patrick macdonald talked about his book, all souls. The book all souls is a captivating work of literature, told from the stand point of the author michael macdonald, a young man who grew up in the heart of south boston. In all souls, his bestselling autobiography, michael patrick macdonald depicted the south boston neighborhood he loved with graphic intensity. A breakaway bestseller since its first printing, all souls takes us deep into michael patrick macdonalds southie, the proudly insular neighborhood with the highest concentration of white poverty in america. Rocked by whitey bulgers crime schemes and busing riots, macdonalds southie is populated by sharply hewn characters like his ma, a miniskirted, accordionplaying single mother who endures. The book examines his family during the class strife and turbulence of south boston in the. A breakaway bestseller since its first printing, all souls takes us deep into michael patrick.
The 98 victory over westmont secures at least a portion of the mt hamilton division title which is the 1st a league championship in branham baseball history and only the 2nd in branham history. Its my familys story growing up in a neighborhood where there were three large housing projects, mostly populated by irishamerican families, a lot of singleparent, femaleheaded households. An incendiary, moving book that startles on nearly every page. Forty years after courtordered buses integrated boston schools, macdonald acknowledges that racism was a huge factor in southies resistance. Rocked by whitey bulgers crime schemes and busing riots, macdonalds southie is populated by sharply hewn characters like his ma, a miniskirted, accordionplaying single mother who endures the deaths of four of her eleven children. As your students read this book they also will recognize and discuss the fact that. All souls takes us deep into michael patrick macdonalds southie, the. The antibusing riots of 1974 forever changed southie, bostons working class irish community, branding it. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. A family story from southie book online at best prices in india on. The antibusing riots of 1974 forever changed southie, bostons. Its a story of growing up in south boston in the old colony housing project. Michael patrick macdonald born march 9, 1966 is an irishamerican activist against crime and violence and author of his memoir, all souls.
The book depicts south boston in the 1970s and 80s as a perpetual. The poverty rate was 31 percent, and median family. It was all souls night and gate of heaven church was packed with all my old neighbors, mostly from the lower end even though the church was in city point. Michael patrick macdonald helped launch boston s successful gunbuyback program and is founder of the south boston vigil group. During his childhood, he lost several brothers to either street violence or suicide. Chapter 5 talks a lot about the siblings of macdonald and he starts off first by telling us of his new baby brother seamus and the love he has for him. The book tells the story of his familys journey through poverty in the crimeridden neighborhoods of south boston, ma, where pride and denial, a criminal class, and despair prevented any effective action. He helped to start bostons gunbuyback program, and founded the south. An alternately funny and heartbreaking memoir of leavingand findinghome, by the author of all souls.
A family story from southie offers a new look at the same events from an insiders point of view. In all souls, michael patrick macdonalds sociologically important memoir of growing up in south boston, we get a vivid look at the type of shanty irish culture that has more in common with compton than connecticut. The busing crisis first exposed the myth of south boston as a stable, workingclass enclave untroubled by poverty or crime. The antibusing riots of 1974 forever changed southie, boston s working class irish community, branding it as a violent, racist enclave. A family story from southie, published by beacon press. General assembly 2000 event 343 michael patrick mcdonalds book, published by beacon press, received much critical acclaim and sold numerous copies. A family story from southie inglese copertina rigida 22 feb 2000.
The first public housing project was built in south boston in the 1930s. He helped to start bostons gunbuyback program, and founded the south boston vigil group, which works with survivor families and young people in bostons antiviolence movement. An interesting memoir, particularly when it deals with the boston punk music scene and the macdonald family trip to ireland. Michael patrick macdonald takes us on a heartbreaking tour of his south boston family. A family story from southie beacon press, september 1999, won an american book award and a new england literary lights award, as well as the myers outstanding book award administered by the myers center for the study of bigotry and human rights in north america. The southie of his childhood was an intense place of violence, drugs, police corruption, and racism. Macdonald grew up in southies old colony housing project and. Southie, an all irish neighborhood in south boston, is ran by a man whose. Macdonald takes us on a heartbreaking tour of his south boston family. The anti busing riots of 1974 forever changed southie, bostons. A family story from southie having grown up in a small town in the heartland of america, i cannot even imagine what it would have been like to grow up in a violent place like south boston in the 1970s.
Frank mccourt, irish america magazine an incendiary, moving book. Remind your students that this is one memoir about one familys experiences and not meant to depict every individuals life in south boston from the 1960s to the 1990s. Michael patrick macdonald a breakaway bestseller since its first printing, all souls takes us deep into michael patrick macdonalds southie, the proudly insular neighborhood with the highest concentration of white poverty in. A family story from southie summary these notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. The book describes the authors upbringing in the irish borough of south boston. A family story from southie by michael patrick macdonald.
A family story from southie is a 1999 memoir by michael macdonald. Written by j j and other people who wish to remain anonymous. The antibusing riots of 1974 forever changed southie, bostons working class irish community, branding it as a violent, racist enclave. The reputation of the hub of the educational universe, as an overtly racist enclave, intensified greatly at that time and still lingers today.
Many students remarked that it was the first book they read entirely on their own, and students often read far ahead of the assigned. The public housing projects in south boston remained white even as the nonwhite tenant population grew in the rest of the city. In all souls, michael patrick macdonald told the story of the loss of four of his siblings to the violence, poverty, and gangsterism of irish south boston. The white families of columbia point would all go on excursions to the toy stores and supermarkets there.
Michael patrick macdonald grew up in the best place in the worldthe old colony projects of south boston where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest concentration of impoverished whites in the u. South boston public housing history boston tv news. All souls is suitable reading for both the english and social studies classroom. With radiant insight, he opens up a contradictory world, where residents are besieged by gangs. Michael macdonald and many of the residents of south boston, massachusetts, during.
Learn more about his impact in the community of south boston and read an excerpt from michael patrick macdonalds memoir, all souls. To ask other readers questions about all souls, please sign up. All souls is a book that shares the difficult and tragic times, but it also encompasses themes of hope, renewal, and redemption. He has won the american book award, a new england literary lights award, and the myers center outstanding book award administered. Michael patrick macdonald, what is your book, all souls, about. All souls, written by michael patrick macdonald, is the story of a lowincome family from boston that ends up moving from the projects in columbia point to the projects south boston, also known as southie. My older brothers and sisters looked forward to the weekends, when there were free buses out of columbia point, to broadway, the main shopping street in white south boston. Nevertheless, this book is quite a disappointment after macdonalds all souls an unforgettable account of his south boston boyhood, filled with poetry and rage. The book deals with michaels formidable mother helen, his many siblings davey, joe, kathy, franky, kevin, seamus, and steven, and the criminal kingpin whitey bulger, who controlled the drug trade in that part of the city. Antiviolence activist macdonald grew up there and lost four out of eight siblings to violence in those dark times. Ultimately, of course, all souls is not just about a particular family or place. All souls is a biography about michaels upbringing in southie and the difficulties his family faced in their rough south boston neighborhood. Much like it was in south boston was when he was growing up in the 1980s.