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

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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.

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.

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

"A Boy From Lawrence" is a labor of love, containing the collected personal writings of former Professor Eugene Connolly, edited by his wife, Sally Connolly. "A Boy From Lawrence" is more than a collection of inspirational writings, poems , and quotations, it is the story of a soul's journey to God, in very humble language. The gentle narrative illumines the life and ways of a most remarkable man, of tangible goodness. Acceptance of loss, with a surety of grace, the theme of many pages is perhaps the ever present goodness of God. One of the most moving chapters is part of a section called "Let Evening Come," named after a poem by Jane Kenyon, who also died of cancer, like Eugene Connolly. Because it speaks to the heart, and because it was evidently important to Connolly, here is a part of it:

Let the light of late afternoon
shine though chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to aid in the lung,
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don't
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come. (page 113)

"A Boy From Lawrence" is filled with such treasures. It is a very uplifting meditation book, recommended for those in need of comfort, illumination, redirection, grace, or prayer.

Reading this collection of writings by a beloved English professor, husband and father brought tears to my eyes. The reader meets a man of wit, humor, warmth and grace who loves his God, his family, his students and colleagues deeply and honestly. He was also a brave man who spoke from the heart to his students in a commencement address about real happiness and love. I wish I had known Gene Connolly better when he was alive because of reading this book. William A. Barry, S.J.