A Long Stone's Throw

A third brother adds his voice

Who is Alphie McCourt? He is the youngest brother of Frank McCourt, Pulitzer prize winning author of Angela's Ashes and Malachy McCourt, a New York Times bestselling author.

Both older brothers have written memoirs detailing their impoverished upbringing in Limerick, Ireland, their emigration to the United States and the success they both found.

I listened to this in audio format. It was read by the author. It opens with-

"I often don't talk much. There is a rhythm to talk, a definite beat, sometimes my mind wanders and I lose the cadence of the conversation."

During the first disc I found McCourt's manner and rhythm of speaking to be slow and dull with little inflection. However, McCourt's Irish lilt is pleasant and I was soon caught up in his tale. He often breaks into song as well.

He begins telling his story when he is in his twenties and living in New York. The tale heads back to Ireland for childhood memories and then back to the U.S. Much of the childhood was something I had heard before, having read his brothers' memoirs.

I found some of the stories to be so detailed that I wondered if McCourt had kept comprehensive journals or diaries or he was embellishing his memories. Although interesting, I found some of the minutiae to be a bit boring at times.

Alphie McCourt struggled with alcohol through much of his adult life. He worked a variety of jobs, eventually finding success in the restaurant and bar business.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Tale Well Told

I read this book in one evening. From the first sentence I was engaged in the story and wanted to see what was in store for this engaging story-teller. Amidst all the craziness and uncertainty of the past year this is the perfect antidote if you are feeling a bit down about circumstances.Alphie McCourt manages to make you find the humor in life's struggles. He also reminds you that you don't always go from point a to point b in life, but that it's the detours along the way that make life interesting.

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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The McCourt boys have come through,once again. Their stories are so full of wit, humor, hardship and yes, in their own way,love. To read one of their books is almost like eating peanuts.....addictive. You can not read just one, you want to read all

Alphie McCourt has taken up the continuation of the McCourt saga where his brothers left off. In A Long Stones Throw, he describes his adventures, some good and some not so good, in coming to a new land, new job and new way of life. He is pretty much on his own once he hits our shores, since the brothers have their own lives to work out. He makes his own way as he was always used to doing back in Limerick as there were few free handouts there. As always with the McCourt boys, the lure of a good time, generous amounts of brew and boistrous camraderie lead him into trouble, this time with the Immigration people.....thus becoming a citizen of Canada, while his brother and friends go merrily on their way waving farewell as they recross the border into the United States. On and on his stories go with such wit, and then again he will describe his childhood and squalid existence in Limerick. When this happens it makes your heart cry out for Alphie and his brothers. All in all, this was a most enjoyable read.....one of those books that you open up and read on until the next thing you realize, you have finished the book and only wish it was at least twice as long. I would highly recommend it.

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