Martin Sixsmith

I enjoyed this book, despite its limitations. It felt like a genuine attempt to imagine the life of a man who was born and raised in extraordinary and unjust circumstances. There is something very unique about a creative biography; this book is almost historical fiction set in the second half of the twentieth century. I don't think it's a genre I'll be hurrying back to, but I also wouldn't rule out reading it again.

There are essentially three main characters in this book - Philomena Lee, who is mostly featured in her absence; Mike Hess; and the journalist writing the story. I think the book could have been a masterpiece if more thought had gone into how those three characters were incorporated into the story. Instead, we get quite a straightforward narrative of the life of Mike Hess, apparently with lots of invention, interpolation and speculation. I made the mistake of thinking that the journalist had done extensive research to share with Philomena Lee and then turned it into a book. It would have been interesting to read what drove him to do that, or given that it's not quite what he did, it would have aided the book to have more written about what exactly the author was doing.

Nevertheless, reading this was a positive experience and I found myself very moved by the ending and very able to sympathise with Philomena Lee and Mike Hess.… (more)

This is a bit of an odd book. I'd go so far as to call it fictional non-fiction, in the same sort of vein as Henri Charrière's [b:Papillon|6882|Papillon|Henri Charrière|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327865561l/6882._SY75_.jpg|1289201], which is to say that main events in the book did happen, but there's also a hell of a lot of artistic license taken by Martin Sixsmith.

About halfway through, I realized that this book was written for only one person, Philomena Lee. I think that smoothed over the obvious exaggerations and made-up conversations that would otherwise have bothered me, because Philomena never got to know the child stolen from her by the Catholic church; he died almost 10 years before she even worked up the courage to admit he existed to her family.… (more)

Well told true story which focuses on Michael Hess and the early stages of homosexuality, AIDS and working behind the scenes in government during the Reagan and Bush administrations simultaneously with Philomena connecting with Martin Sixsmith and convincing him to help her find Anthony (Michael). It's a sad story that illuminates some important 'behind closed doors' human condition elements. Oddly enough, the film tells the story strictly focused on the hunt for Michael rather than the details of his childhood and adoption to an American family.… (more)

Un libro bellissimo pur nella sua dolorosa e terribile realtà e che è riuscito a suscitare in me una profonda rabbia verso un sistema retrogrado, reazionario, assurdo e inconcepibile.
Una storia vera, narrata con piglio giornalistico, che porta alla luce il dramma delle ragazze madri irlandesi, vittime di pregiudizi e ostracismo sociale. Queste, per una morale bigotta e priva di qualsiasi scrupolo e umanità, venivano costrette anche a privarsi dei loro figli, dati in adozione forzata a famiglie straniere, dietro compenso dovuto agli enti religiosi presso i quali le stesse venivano recluse e trattate, dalle religiose che li gestivano, alla stregua di schiave prive di qualsiasi diritto e dignità.
La prima parte narra la storia di Philomena e dei tre difficilissimi anni passati nell’Abbazia di Sean Ross dove partorisce il figlio, Anthony, a cui può restare a malapena vicino sino al giorno in cui le viene strappato via per essere consegnato in adozione, quasi fosse un pacco postale, a una famiglia americana.
Da quel momento in poi ci viene raccontata la nuova vita di questo dolcissimo bambino che vedrà cambiato pure il suo nome in Michael e che, per tutta la vita, rimarrà condizionato da questa terribile esperienza che vivrà sempre come fosse una sua colpa, subendone anche delle terribili conseguenze.
Un libro che squarcia le tenebre sui soprusi e le ipocrisie perpetrate per anni in Irlanda su povere e ingenue ragazze madri, succubi di un sistema perverso e crudele gestito e condotto da religiosi nel più completo dispregio dei principi fondanti del loro credo ecclesiale di amore e carità cristiana.
Da leggere per scoprire qualcosa di inimmaginabile che è realmente accaduto in un passato alquanto recente.… (more)