John R. Powers (1945–2013)

Enjoyed reading about all the goofy things Donald did with his brother during his childhood. Kept wondering what had happened to his brother that made it so hard for him to go back to his house. Thought that it was a nice way to show how important time spent with family is to life.

I picked this book up at a discount store. I like the core message to be yourself--to find what makes you unique and what makes you happy and to be that, no matter what anyone else thinks of it. I do think that is easier said than done--especially if you start as a "mature" adult. I agree with the author that fear is often what holds us back from doing this (making changes).

Enjoyable book - sequel to "The Last Catholic in America" (which I preferred). Neither book is so much a novel - i.e. with a plot that carries through from page 1 to resolution at the end of the story - as much as a collection of fictionalized reminiscenses. The book is somewhat episodic in that each chapter generally stands on its own as a capsulized entry, though the same characters continue to populate the entire book, providing cohesion and consistency. In general, it's a sweet book, show more though perhaps a little rough on the "fat, ugly kids" (speaking as a fat, ugly former high school kid, myself) - the author risks alienating half his potential audience. show less

If you grew up Catholic anywhere this book is for you. There are many relatable stories that if you went to a Catholic school or knew friends that did these stories will sound very familiar.