The Next Best Book Club discussion

Frank McCourt died today from cancer at age 78.

The weird thing is that my book club is discussing Teacher Man tomorrow.

Well, let his words be treasured, that is a good memorial to his life.
Sharon

This made me sad.

He was a great writer and will be missed. I hate cancer...

Oh my goodness! I was out all day working, and had no idea he passed until I signed onto goodreads. :(

This made me sad and I haven't even read any of his books.

I was so saddened to hear this.I loved Angela's Ashes

Very sad. I too loved Angela's Ashes. I haven't read 'Tis or Teacher Man, but I'm sure they are as good. Another treasure has left us too soon.

I hope that his adult life had lots of happy times and love... God bless him

Actually he died of meningitis, which he contracted while he was battling skin cancer. The meningitis is what actually killed him, and quickly. So scary! I'm sure the cancer weakened him, but this apparently happened really fast.

Rachel - you have better information than I did. Thanks for the update.

I just want to tell you that I stopped breathing for a few seconds when I read it. He was one of my fav authors. I am very very sad about this.

New York will miss him.

I just wanted to post this from visual bookhelf on Facebook. It took my years before I finally read Angela's Ashes but a couple of month ago I read the book. Might be a coincidence, but I am also living in Ireland now.


There is sad news in the book world this week after the passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt on Sunday July 19th. As a tribute to McCourt, we'll dedicate this newsletter to his work, and the reflections of LivingSocial members like you!

Although he was born in Brooklyn, McCourt's family moved back to Ireland where he suffered through what he called a "miserable Irish childhood" in the slums of Limerick. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Angela’s Ashes, McCourt shares intimate stories about his father's alcoholism, his mother's struggle to feed her family, and the tragic deaths of his siblings. The resulting read is a delicate balance of heartbreak and humor that few authors are able to pull off.

The impact of this book can be seen amongst the LivingSocial community where Angela's Ashes is rated 5-stars, appears in nearly 45,000 collections, and has been reviewed almost 3,500 times. After buying the novel by mistake, Gina couldn’t put it down and labels it “a story of resolve and the resilience of the human spirit.” Lisa found herself "both crying and laughing," while Antonio calls it "inspiring and beautiful on so many levels." Angelene adds that "it really makes you appreciate the little things that you do have," lamenting at how often she takes those things for granted. You're not alone, Angelene, we all do!

Although Angela's Ashes was McCourt's most famous work, he did write a few other popular memoirs such as 'Tis, which details McCourt’s journey back to America where he experienced firsthand what life was like as an immigrant, went to university, became a teacher, and fell in love for the first time. Teacher Man is a story that highlights his 30-year career as a teacher in the New York public school system, and Angela and the Baby Jesus marks the author's first foray into children's literature.

No matter what your favorite book, it's safe to say that Frank McCourt's contribution to the literary world was magnificent. We found a touching tribute to him online at Newsweek and we thought we'd share it with you. When you're done reading that, be sure to rate, review, and share your thoughts about Frank McCourt and his multiple memoirs with other LivingSocialites in LivingSocial: Books.

So sad... = (
Frank McCourt will be sorely missed...

I am listening to Frank McCourt read his book "Angela's Ashes" on audio. I am really enjoying it and to know that he recently passed away makes it even more emotional I think.