All Souls: A Family Story from Southie

I was touched by this book. I laughed and I cried. I was amazed at how HONEST the writer is. He talks about his Mother and other family members with brutal honesty, and yet it is all done with LOVE. He is tuly non-judgmental and understands that everyone does the best they can with what they have. That doesn't mean we should not love them or harbor ill will. It is refreshing to see someone who doesn't BLAME others for his life or problems. He is very matter of fact about his life and upbringing and he still loves all of them very much. A great read. You won't be able to put it down!
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It is hard to believe that so much tragedy happened to this one family in one neighborhood. It is hard to believe that after all of the violence and drug related deaths that Southie (or should I say the Old Colony project) could still claim that it was the best place to live. Pride in your community is terrific but not when it promotes crime. Michael's story is gripping and it is hard to put the book down. It's sad to say that it is a true story. But it is nice to know that Michael got out of a bad situation and became the good man he is today.

A gritty memoir of life in the white ghetto where tribal loyalty struggles with justice. A portrait of the struggle for personal responsibility a primer and how to use and abuse the system.

You'll see some people chime in here about this book, from "Southie". But Southie and Old Colony don't equal the same thing. You can be from the point and not be anything like someone growing up in Old Colony. Old Colony wasn't the same as D street or Old Harbor. Secondly, my aunt is mentioned in the book as skoochie(sp?). I'm not particularly fond of being from Old Colony or having my aunt in this book, but it's who i am. Lastly, i was good friends with Tommy Veins before he got out of cotrol and died. It's a sad story overall, if tommysdad is here, i'd like to say that my condolences, but this portrayal is not far from fact at all. I was there and grew up where these things happened. And let me tell you, the book is pretty accurate. Slight details here and there might be slightly off, but for the overall idea, Accurate. Everyone knew his mom... she was an outcast for sure and he mentions this several times. I personally couldn't put my own mom out there, but kudos for him for trying to be accurate.

You'll see some people chime in here from "Southie" but unless they were from Old Colony i wouldn't take their perspective as seriously. And just as a point of argument a lot of people from "Southie" didn't like this book coming out because it casted a shadow on the town where whities affects of keeping things within southie are still being felt.

Overall i'd say read this book. It's as close as you are going to get to truly understanding what happened there at that time.

Brendan Stewart
26 Pilsudski Way.

Growing up in Southie and now living in Florida it was good to look back. The book broke my wifes heart who is not from Southie but it was everyday life fo us. Good read!