SO BEGINS THE LUMINOUS MEMOIR OF FRANK MCCOURT, BORN IN DEPRESSION-ERA BROOKLYN TO RECENT IRISH IMMIGRANTS AND RAISED IN THE SLUMS OF LIMERICK, IRELAND. FRANK’S MOTHER, ANGELA, HAS NO MONEY TO FEED THE CHILDREN SINCE FRANK’S FATHER, MALACHY, RARELY WORKS, AND WHEN HE DOES HE DRINKS HIS WAGES. YET MALACHY – EXASPERATING, IRRESPONSIBLE AND BEGUILING – DOES NURTURE IN FRANK AN APPETITE FOR THE ONE THING HE CAN PROVIDE: A STORY. FRANK LIVES FOR HIS FATHER’S TALES OF CUCHULAIN, WHO SAVED IRELAND, AND OF THE ANGEL ON THE SEVENTH STEP, WHO BRINGS HIS MOTHER BABIES.
PERHAPS IT IS STORY THAT ACCOUNTS FOR FRANK’S SURVIVAL. WEARING RAGS FOR DIAPERS, BEGGING A PIG’S HEAD FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER AND GATHERING COAL FROM THE ROADSIDE TO LIGHT A FIRE, FRANK ENDURES POVERTY, NEAR STARVATION AND THE CASUAL CRUELTY OF RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS – YET LIVES TO TELL HIS TALE WITH ELOQUENCE, EXUBERANCE AND REMARKABLE FORGIVENESS.
ANGELA’S ASHES, IMBUED ON EVERY PAGE WITH FRANK MCCOURT ASTOUNDING HUMOR AND COMPASSION, IS A GLORIOUS BOOK THAT BEARS ALL THE MARKS OF A CLASSIC. AS MARY BREASTED, AUTHOR OF WHY SHOULD YOU DOUBT ME NOW, SAID: ‘’FRANK MCCOURT’S BOOK IS DEEPLY MOVING, FOR HIS SEARING STORY IS TRUE. NO ONE HAS EVER WRITTEN ABOUT POVERTY OR CHILDHOOD LIKE THIS. THAT FRANK MCCOURT LIVES TO TELL THE TALE IS AMAZING. THAT HE COULD CREATE OUT OF SUCH SQUALOR AND MISERY A FLAWLESS MASTERPIECE IS NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACULOUS.’’
आयर्लंडच्या स्वातंत्र्यलढ्याच्या पोकळ अभिमानात रमणाऱ्या आणि सतत वाढणाऱ्या पोरवड्याकडे दुर्लक्ष करून दारूत बुडालेल्या वडिलांमुळे वयाच्या चौथ्या वर्षापासूनच लिमरिकच्या गलिच्छ झोपडपट्टीत दैन्यावस्थेत हातातोंडाची गाठ घालण्यासाठी धडपडून आईला मदत करणाऱ्या- अमेरिकेत जाण्याचे स्वप्न उराशी बाळगणाऱ्या फ्रॅंकच्या संघर्षमय बालपणाची कहाणी.