Charles Foran

Foran tells the story of the McNally family of Belfast, whom the author met in 1979 and lived with on and off over the next twenty years, and in telling their story, tells the story of Northern Ireland. Compassionate, funny and frightening, it's a hell of a book.

Foran was a 19 year-old student in Dublin when he first visited the family with a school friend. Fascinated, in an arrogantly innocent sort of way by the horror of check points, murders, bombings and all the violence of Belfast show more during the "Troubles", the authors initial voyeurism soon give way to profound concern and love for the family. The daily life of the family, their struggles to maintain their standards of care for each other, of hospitality, of humor and strength are beautifully detailed.

And it is to Foran's credit that he offers no simple answers save those contained in one human being's love for another.

This is a poignant account of the connections between people, of the power of place and history, and of courage and pride. It is the story of Ireland, and the story of a single, unforgettable family. Worth reading more than once, it's so good. show less

This is a story about the consequences of having an on-line presence. When 15 year old Xixi Kwok photographs and posts a picture of a woman she believes needs help, she finds herself the target of criminals. This is, in large part, a cautionary tale: Xixi and her parents think she is safe in her room, but she is not only in the physical space of home, but also in cyberspace where her parents can't protect her.

This is also the story of family ties. Mom and Dad aren't getting along; older show more sister is away at university and Xixi has only her beloved amah (Gloria) to confide in. The only sour note for me is that Xixi doesn't seem like a 15 year old -- she seems much younger to me.

That said, the author has done an amazing job of bringing depth to his characters, and in structuring this book. The middle section consists of text messages, tweets, video transcripts: the reader only experiences Xixi's on-line presence. This shows so vividly how Xixi really has no control over her cyber image. Fascinating. show less

As a university student in Ireland, Charles Foran tags along with some Irish friends as they visit their relatives in Belfast, the McNallys. Foran develops his own long-lasting relationship with the family, visiting them occasionally over the years and witnessing the Troubles from a very personal perspective. This is his memoir of those times, shifting between the past and the present (at the time of writing, the "present" was the early 1990s). I greatly enjoyed reading about his visits with show more the family, particularly his accounts of their lively conversations in the sitting room every evening. It was also interesting to observe how their relationship deepened and changed as Foran himself became older and had a family of his own. And as a Canadian like Foran, I nodded along with his descriptions of life in the suburbs of Toronto and how greatly it differed from life in Belfast. Recommended if you are interested in history at the personal level. show less

I am not a Montreal Candiens fan, nor particularly a Maurice Richard fan. But I am a fan of the history of the NHL. This book places Maurice Richard in the context of the times of Quebec prior to the quiet revolution, the context of NHL team owners who owned their players and would do what they wanted with them. It speaks of Maurice's humble beginnings, not even having set foot in the fabled forum prior to his first training camp with the club.

It is short, only 160 pages long. But it conveys show more the times and best of all does not get caught up in the numbers of the game. It places Richard in context of Quebec, and Canada, and the NHL in the 1940s and 1950s.

Hockey fans should enjoy this book. Richard fans may not, it speaks openly of his failures and shortcomings and how he was ruthlessly used by politicians (mayors and primere's alike) as well as how he was severely taken advantage of by his team owners. show less