Rating: 
Summary: Terrific book..I hope everyone reads it!
Review: This piece of literature has it all: it's moving, riveting, gripping, and revealing; and it's very well written. The author's clearly a talented story teller, and he's very courageous to put this revealing story of his family's tragic experiences in the public domain. Michael MacDonald(and Ma) should be commended just for that courage, not even considering his literary talents. I can't imagine the level of pain he endured writing it because of the pain I felt just reading it. The book's emotional spectrum runs the whole gamut from sadness, grief, and despair to sheer hilartity...there's that Irish wit and humor throughout.I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone in our American society. The story had to be told: it's poverty and class, folks, not race! Whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc., whatever ethnic or racial group there is, those at the poor end of the specrum will suffer until society changes."All Souls" teaches us that. Hopefully we'll learn from this marvelous work, and things will improve. Like Michael, I'm someone born and brought up in a Southie housing project(The Old Harbor Village), albeit some 25 years earlier. I was luckier than Michael and his siblings because I had two parents, and drugs and guns were virtually nonexistent in Southie's projects in the 40's, 50's, and early 60's when I was there. However, I can identify with and testify to the existence of "Southie Pride", and the insular nature of "The Town", that "us versus the rest of the world" mentality. Combine that with the forced busing saga produced by a self-serving state legislature which passed laws to insure their lily-white towns wouldn't be affected by busing, and a judge from Wellesley who didn't have a clue, along with extreme poverty, organized crime controlling Southie ,an incompetent and/or corrupt police force, a similarly corrupt local FBI contingent, guns, drugs, and booze pouring in uninhibited by law enforcement, and lo and behold, you have the perfect formula for the disaster that ensued, the anger, hate, despair, misery, grief, the premature deaths, suicides, murders, ODs' etc, the exacerbation of Southie's natural introversion! Thanks to this wonderful book, the story is out there,and the healing process has begun. I really hope all of America reads the book, especially those non-Southies who live in Boston and its environs. I guarantee you will all change your perspective of Southie afterwards. I would also recommend that "All Souls" be mandatory in the high school English courses of the Boston Public School system, as well as those across the country. There'a a major lesson to be learned here. Michael MacDonald..Thank you for your story, and I'll be waiting for to write more!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, if somewhat infuriating saga...
Review: Forced busing was happening as I was preparing to graduate high school in Cambridge. At that time the talk was that the people of Southie were just racists, and that's what all the trouble was about. Like many of us in surrounding communities who didn't know anyone from Southie, that brand on Southie remained for many years to come. MacDonald's book offers some profound insights into the Southie view of forced busing that has softened my views on Southie racism. But I remain unconvinced that stoning school buses full of black kids was motivated solely by frustration with a political initiative to mandate desegregation of the city's schools. Forced busing created more problems than it solved, that much is clear. But I'm not convinced that the motives of some of the rioters were as noble as MacDonald would like us to think. This community seemed to possess a culture that thrived on violence, fear and ignorance. Poverty may be a reason, but it's not an excuse. I grew up in a housing project, raised by a single mom as well. When I compare MacDonald's beloved "Ma" to my own mother, and few other single moms I grew up around, I keep wanting to bop her over the head with one of her "spiked heels". Perhaps MacDonald didn't spend as much time on "Ma" as he should have, because from what he's told us about her she was a self-centered and narcissistic woman who placed a greater value on her appearance than on the children she brought into the world. At least until a tragedy befell one of them. She'd admonished Michael not to be a "worrywart" when her brilliant and sensitive son was the only one who realized there was plenty to worry about. In his book Michael speaks lovingly of this "strong" single mom, who but by sheer luck wasn't a total failure as a parent--but comes pretty close. I grew up around single moms like her and their kids always ended up the same way. Sure it's hard to be poor with 10 mouths to feed, but she brought those mouths into the world and never took full responsibility for them. Her children were out of her control at an early age because she didn't want to take control. By MacDonald's account, the children had no set schedule and came and went as they pleased. They raised themselves so the results, while tragic, are not that surprising. An astute reader can easily see through Michael's loving portrayal of his mother, warts and all. But it is a tribute to his own humanity and compassion that developed growing up as a witness to the tragedies that befall a family lacking a capable and responsible parent. In the end, there may be a lot of good reasons why these things happen. But there are no good excuses. We can feel compassion and empathy for the MacDonald family, but the lesson to take away from this story is the value of accepting personal responsiblity for your life.
Rating:
Summary: Profoundly moving and enlightening
Review: My 13 year old and I read and reread _All Souls_. It started a conversation about adversity, resilence, strength, crime, race, poverty,and family life that does not seem to end.
Rating: 
Summary: Academically Speaking
Review: As a college professor, I find this book to fit perfectly in the realm of academia. It exemplies social deviance/elite deviance, social problems and juvenile delinquency. The author takes us on a journey and successfully illustrates how certain systems in society are set for the good of certain people at the disadvantage of others. And that these systems are ultimately very destructive for society as a whole. The book is hard to put down because while being taken on this journey, the author develops main characters enough to the point that we want to know more about them and when some of these character's lives end....we feel the authors pain as he describes the turmoil of losing certain loved ones. MacDonald's family is no different than many familes that live in high risk neighborhoods. His Mother did what she thought was best at the time. While she may be different than most Moms in how she ran her household....her children thought that their household was normal. Their whole life style seemed to be one big line of normalcy until they went outside of the community and noticed how others lived. While MacDonald probably did leave many things out, I applaud him for giving us 263 pages. He obviously had much more to say but chose not to do so.
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Summary: My worst day would have been his best...
Review: Talk about a quick read....I am about the same age as the Michael MacDonald and Irish Catholic as well. The main difference is I grew up about 10 miles further south in the suburbs of Boston and was lower middle class. I remember (experienced from a distance) many of the things in the book such as forced busing, the riots etc. My first experience with Southie came when a a family moved in near me and the first thing the sons did, was to beat me silly......just because they could. Michael...I wish you and what remains of your family all the best.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: A wonderfully written book and a fabulous story told. Mr. MacDonald unfolds the saga of his family experience in a way that allows the reader to feel his pain and subsequently share in his triumphs. The author captures the themes of racism, poverty and substance abuse and through his writings shows us just how easily these problems exist almost forming a blueprint for how to solve them...tell the truth! As an educator I have used this books with students and parents and the results are never less than astounding. Both groups walk away with the same strong feelings that I experienced upon completion of the book...one of hope for a better future in which truth telling becomes more common place. Thank you Mr. MacDonald for having the courage to tell your story.
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Summary: A healing story
Review: I think this book is about a deep transformation coming from a place of truth, love and real experience of the author's soul.He trusted his perceptions and his own truth and with help of his family's love for eachother, he came through it and was able to tell his story. That is the beginning of healing. I think the author is a true warrior, carrying on with love as his guide, transforming through his feelings and coming into a new place within himself, giving back to the community. I see his story as one more piece of the picture put into place to help all of humanity understand that we really are all one and are here to learn to live together in harmony
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book: All Souls
Review: The book, "All Souls" by Michael Patrick MacDonald is an excellent book! It explains how drugs can tear a family apart, but if you have hope, like the MacDonald Family, you can conquer all your hardships.It was a sad book, but it was very spiritual.I rate this book 5 Stars! : )
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Summary: THE TRUTH SHALL SET US FREE
Review: I PERSONALLY FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE A SOURCE OF FREEDOM FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT ONLY IN SOUTHIE BUT IN ALL PARTS OF SOCIETY AS IT IS REALITY.I DID NOT GROW UP IN SOUTHIE BUT IN ITS SISTER CITY OF CHARLESTOWN THAT IS VERY SIMILAR IN ALMOST ALL WAYS INCLUDING HIDING OR IGNORING WHAT IS GOING ON.I DID MEET MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT MICHAEL WROTE ABOUT AND ATTENDED WEEKLY SUPPORT MEETINGS WITH THEM FOR THREE YEARS AND CAME TO KNOW THE HEARTACHE AND DESPAIR THAT THEY WERE FEELING UNTILL THIS GROUP STARTED NO ONE WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR PAIN AND SORROW AND MICHAEL WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD LISTEN.HE HELD A VIGIL FOR THOSE WHO DIED TOO YOUNG AND INCLUDED ANY ONE WHO REQUESTED THEIR LOVED ONES NAME ON A LIST OF HONOR.NOT VERY COMMON IN A CITY THAT BLAMES EVERY ONE ELSE EXCEPT THEMSELVES NO MATTER WHAT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WAS.I COMMEND MICHAEL FOR TELLING THE TRUTH FOR ALL OF US AND AND FOR BEING SO COMMITTED TO VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND HE WAS THERE WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS.A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I PERSONALLY INVITED TO THE MEETINGS AND THE VIGILS WHO DID NOT ATTEND EITHER AND DID NOT READ THE BOOK HAVE NEGATIVE THINGS TO SAY BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE KNOW THE TRUTH AND MICHAEL IS THE MOST COMPASSIONATE PERSON I HAVE EVER MET AND I WAS MOST IMPRESSED WHEN THE CARDINAL CAME TO VIGIL AND BLESSED US ALL AND ASKED EVERYONE THERE TO SHOW COMPASSION FOR ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DIED AND MOST OF ALL TO THE PEOPLE THEY LEFT BEHIND.THESE WORDS WILL ALWAYS STAY IN MY HEART AND MICHAEL WILL BE THE MOST COMPASSIONATE PERSON IN MY LIFE AND IF YOU DID NOT GO THE MEETINGS OR THE VIGILS OR READ THE BOOK HOW CAN YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY GOOD OR BAD?
Rating:
Summary: Gave me hope
Review: Reading this book made me feel hope for a lot of kids caught up in similar situations. I come from a big family with a single mother raising us. Like Ma in the book my own mother came from a rural Catholic culture that frowned on contraception and believed that more kids was an asset. Not so true in today's urban America. Most of this family was born to a "traditional" married (though unhappily, and abusive) situation. MacDonald's own survival and leadership on the issues that affected his life (whether poverty, violence, guns, or drugs) is itself a solution for the future. I am going to pass this on to a few teenagers I know who need to read this book. I only bought the book because I heard about the controversy around it and the people that it angered. I was looking for something controversial but instead found hope.... and peace. Thank you to the naysayers for calling attention to it.
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