In the absorbing tradition of Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, Smith mixes humor in the face of adversity with moving insight as he tells what it was like to be young, Irish, Catholic, and poor. It is a tale in which the presence of Dennis's courageous mother, Mary, is never far off, and the mystery of what has happened to Dennis's father underlies all. As Dennis ages from seven to twenty-five, we see him learn life's indelible lessons. Street denizen, truant, and hard-living thrill seeker, Dennis Smith was, in many ways, a young man slated for failure. For his salvation, he could count only on his mother, who at a cost to her own dreams, sometimes hilariously, always lovingly, pulled him by the ear into adulthood; and his Irish-Catholic roots - which even in his darkest moments whispered to him of success, of the power of faith and family and the force of the written word.
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"Dennis Smith tells of his life growing up in New York City and the secret that is kept from him by his mother. It is a book that I would read again. His mother has such great wisdom and she tries to raise her sons with that attitude. " — Sharon (4 out of 5 stars)
"Dennis Smith tells of his life growing up in New York City and the secret that is kept from him by his mother. It is a book that I would read again. His mother has such great wisdom and she tries to raise her sons with that attitude. "
" Dennis Smith tells of his life growing up in New York City and the secret that is kept from him by his mother. It is a book that I would read again. His mother has such great wisdom and she tries to raise her sons with that attitude. "
" He had a good mother, and I learned lessons from her reading his book. I could empathize with her, but she has far more grace than I ever shall rouse. "
" About fire fighting from my memory "
" Good old Irish family memoire! "
" The story of a young Irish American boy growing up poor on the streets of New York and of the mother who did her best to raise him to be a solid contibuting citizen. Told from the heart. "
" Absolutely loved it ... amazing! "
Dennis Smith is a retired New York City firefighter. He stayed in the fire department an additional nineteen years after the success of his first book, Report from Engine Co. 82. He is the author of numerous books including several other bestsellers about firefighting. He founded Firehouse Magazine and has become an outstanding spokesman for firefighters nationwide. He is currently chairman of First Responders Financial Company and lives in New York City.
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