A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly [Paperback]

Sally A. Connolly (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 3, 2006

This moving memoir gives voice once again to a beloved teacher who enriched the minds and hearts of students and strangers alike. Through his years as a Marist Brother, college professor, and devoted husband and father, Connolly used wit and wisdom to encourage and inspire. Flannery O'Connor, one of his favorite authors, best expressed the reason for sharing his words of reflection and celebration: "A Good Man Is Hard to Find."

Readers say:
Thank you for making this book a reality. . . .I will reread [it] all my life for inspiration and enouragement. (Karen N., Topsfield, MA)

His words drew me in and I was blessed to live in his world, if only briefly. (Patricia P., Atkinson, NH)

[This] wonderful book . . . is a loving testimony to a life well lived. (Lisa M.Hendey, CatholicMom.com )

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What started out as a therapeutic project . . . is now in print, a lasting treasure for others." --Myrna Fearer, The Danvers Herald

"[A BOY FROM LAWRENCE] is a delightful account of a loving husband, father, friend and human being." --Willie Elliott, reviewer, MyShelf.com

"[A BOY FROM LAWRENCE] most gracefully catches his greatness. . . . I am a better man for having read the book." --Brian Doyle, editor of The Best Catholic Writing 2005

From the Publisher

We know all too well from pop psychology and our own experience that a significant loss in our lives is processed only gradually, in stages, moving ever so painfully toward final acceptance. Only in looking back can we identify how our thoughts and actions evolved to the point where life, inexorably changed, had meaning once again.

During the end stages of my husband’s terminal illness, when I could no longer experience his companionship, his insight, and, most especially, his glorious voice, I found some comfort in rediscovering that voice in his writings. This memoir draws together some of Gene’s early writings as well as published essays and poems and tributes created for family and friends.

Counselors tell us that scrapbooking helps us deal with grief. For me, this scrapbook of Gene’s writings is one baby step towards acceptance and healing. For all of us, it gives voice once again to the master teacher who reaches out and inspires us to live well and "Do good."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Connolly Associates; Second edition (March 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977265315
• ISBN-13: 978-0977265312
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,125,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting to Know A Good Man, July 3, 2006

By 

Lisa M. Hendey "Mom, Blogger, Podcaster, Author" (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (Paperback)

As a periodic journal keeper and modern day blogger, I sometimes pause to think about what people might say about me one day when I am long gone from this earth should they happen to wander upon some of my writings. With this in mind, I recently had the pleasure of reading a wonderful book entitled A Boy From Lawrence: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (March 2006, paperback, 224 pages).

Lovingly compiled and edited by his widow Sally A. Connolly, A Boy From Lawrence introduces us to the life of Eugene Connolly from his childhood wanderings in Massachusetts through his career as a noted educator and into the twilight of his life and beyond. A verbal scrapbook of sorts, A Boy From Lawrence is a compilation of Connolly's remembrances, correspondences, poetry, prayers and finally the eulogies delivered at the funeral of this special man.

As someone outside of Eugene Connolly's sphere of influence, to read his words is to wish you knew him personally. His devotion to family, faith and his students shines through in his writing. Time spent reading this book uplifted me personally - it left me looking for ways to touch others with my life in the manner in which Eugene Connolly undoubtedly did with his.

Clearly faith and family were at the core of the life of Eugene Connolly, which was perhaps the secret behind his success in other areas of his life. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from a letter from Eugene to his son where he shares, "...I found for myself a wife who has me singing with joy every day." Following his illness and passing, Connolly's wife Sally took upon herself the task of sharing the voice of this unique man by compiling and editing the written words he had left behind. Her work is a testament to the light shed by this man and a gift to those of us who will grow through our own reading of his thoughts and ideas.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Boy from Lawrence Who Becomes a Great Man, May 16, 2006

By 

Willie Elliott "A Reader/Writer" (McDowell, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (Paperback)

A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly is an inspiring account of life and work of Eugene F. Connolly. The writer sees the reader as he lives his life--not a hindsight look as many memoirs are. If you would like to see my full review on this book go to MyShelf.Com and look for this title.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Boy From Lawrence", August 23, 2010

By 

Robert M Wesson - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly (Paperback)

Gene Connolly died in 2005 but his spirit is still alive and active. Our paths never crossed but after reading the collection of his writings in the book, "A Boy From Lawrence", I know that we would have been the best of friends. He made me laugh and he made me cry as I read his letters, talks, eulogies and blessings. I felt uplifted by his faith, his wit and wisdom, and I felt sadness that I never met him. Friends and family who called him a mystic, poet, dreamer, man of principle and lover of family were all accurate for that showed clearly in his words. I saw in him a person of great warmth and sensitivity who was comfortable in both experiencing and showing his feelings particularly when they benefited others. He enjoyed being himself and making people feel good about themselves.
It appears to me that Gene always kept the spirit of his religious training. The spirituality that he experienced while a member of the Marist Order, he took with him to his life as husband, father and teacher. His love of God, people and his work demonstrated an abundance of grace and talent. Gene Connolly was truly a giant among men. To Sally, his family and friends, I say thank you for sharing him. His life and words are truly an inspiration.
Bob wesson - August, 2010