In this thoughtful and moving memoir, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith tells her story of growing up among the "working stiffs" of 1950s Hartford, Connecticut. Her mother is often on the verge of a breakdown, while her brother is autistic in a time when no one understood that, and the family revolves around what Tyler can or can't tolerate at any given time.
None of this is told in a way to gain sympathy at all. As a matter of fact, through all the ups and downs, Mary-Ann can always rely on her caring father and extended family for comfort.
Her stories of the annual bagna cauda feast her father prepared, trying to teach a classmate to speak English by speaking loudly to her no less, and her attempts at checking out "adult" books from the library were completely endearing.
But, what sets apart this memoir from many I've read is the real-life murder mystery Mary-Ann weaves in alternating chapters. When not writing about her life she gives the reader a chilling account of a pedophile closing in on her community.
Eventually the two narratives meet when Mary-Ann is in fifth grade and her friend, Irene, is murdered. Just like that, there is silence and no one is allowed to speak of Irene or what happened. It is many years later that Mary-Ann will find a way to reconcile her past.
Completely absorbing and a book that was hard to put down. I highly recommend it.
Added 02/07