IRELAND-BOOK-DISCUSSION-L Archives

Archiver > IRELAND-BOOK-DISCUSSION > 2004-01 > 1073097490


From: "Mary Smith" <>
Subject: [IrishBooks] Re: Forever by Pete Hamill
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2004 21:38:10 -0500
References: <BC1B772F.70C8%heppell2@bigpond.com> <3FF59B0B.6020207@pacbell.net>


I loved the book - reasons:

Both the Irish connection and the New York City connection. The book
really becomes a history of New York City from the moment the main
character lands there. Hamill is an expert at describing life in early
New York City - I could vividly picture the forests on the northern
part of Manhattan island as he described them.

My great-grandfather (Church of Ireland - like the character in the
story) left Ireland and went to New York City, although later than the
main character in the book. My great-grandfather died there in 1908.
He knew Boss Tweed (remember - the book becomes a history of the
city), was an editor and publisher of 2 newspapers, became a special
treasury agent for the federal government and was very involved in
politics.

"Forever" is a lovely story. The information that he weaves into the
book, especially about the slave trade, was fascinating. My only
complaint was that the last 100 years or so were crammed into a couple
of hundred pages!! A great story about what "Forever" really means....



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