Customer Reviews

In the Castle of the Flynns

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

WOW...this was a great book. It was an easy read and simply delightful with the humorous situations that (working with children/families each day) I can only attest to being true to life.
It also captured the sad secrets of families and how difficult childhoods can make us who we are. I simply loved this book and am recommending it to everyone...great for a travel book, it offers enough to keep your attention while still being enjoyable and refeshing. Don't miss it! I would love to see it in a movie!!!

"In the Castle of the Flynns" is a novel that deals with the life-shattering changes a young orphan must adjust to after the death of his parents. When Daniel Dorsey's parents are killed in a car crash, he is taken in by his grandparents and raised by them along with various aunts and uncles, his whole extended Irish immigrant family. The story is set in Chicago during the 1950s, a time when innocence was on the cusp of being lost in an ever-changing city.

Michael Raleigh paints a vivid picture of young Danny's life. At age seven, he is an intrepid narrator, eagerly questioning everyone about life. At the same time, however, he is also suffering from losing his parents and his fears that all those whom he loves will be taken away from him as well. During these times the reader recognizes the adult voice in Danny - his childlike perceptions of the adults who populate his world are spiced with the wisdom only age can bring.

"In the Castle of the Flynns" is a well-written novel, that often reads as a collection of vignettes involving the Flynns and the Dorseys. Raleigh's characters are realistically voiced and believable. The reader is immediately wrapped up in the happenings of this eclectic Irish-Catholic family who never lose sight of what young Danny needs. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at others bittersweet with sentiment, "In the Castle of the Flynns" is a thoroughly enjoyable read about the bonds of love and family.

This book is so true to life. It highlights the humor in the
everyday personalities and events of family life to the point you will be in tears with laughter. One of the best books I've ever read.

"In The Castle Of The Flynns" is what other Irish writers have strived to write in this decade of Irish fiction and non-fiction. "...Castle..." is joyous and ebullient, and a wonderful read.

Danny Dorsey, orphaned suddenly, is taken in by his relatives. All of them. In this subtly hilarious and often poignant account of the summer of 1954, we see his new family through his eyes...to great effect. Reading "...Castle..." was like reliving my own childhood in a large Irish family...a wonderful journey that I would do again and again if Michael Raleigh could be the tour guide every time.

An absolutely delightful read! Hard to believe this isn't a first-rate autobiography - the author perfectly captures the feelings and emotions of an orphaned seven-year old boy. Danny Dorsey is absorbed into his extended Irish family with a few hitches --and with the love of his grandparents and uncles, especially his hero, Uncle Tom. I found myself laughing out loud as well as wiping away tears. The characters and their eccentricities are wonderfully described. Can't wait to read more from this author.

I love this book! I don't even have the right words to fully explain how wonderful this story is. I found myself laughing out loud and needing to read parts to my family. Just like a real family, there were sad parts too, and parts that made me examine my own life events and choices. The ending was masterfully done. It brought everything full circle around. As I read the last two lines, I gasped and my eyes filled up with tears....not because of some shocking end, but at how beautifully the author said it. I don't recall that ever happening to me before while reading. The book was SO well written.

I loved this book, kept me up at night laughing. It is a touching, lighthearted story.

Sitting around with Grandpa, being over-fed by Grandma, and loved by the whole crazy gang. Danny is orphaned, but his extended family takes charge of the young boy's life. His hero, Uncle Tom is always eager to talk with Danny and lavish attention upon him.

The story meanders through the streets and alleys of the Chicago 1950's, full of a young man's adventurous spirit.

I SO loved this book for a million different reasons but mostly because it's just a great, simple story about what family means. Add together a few crazy uncles, grandparents with old values, cousins to get in trouble with and an old Irish neighborhood and you have a wonderful story with an ending that leaves you smiling.

I read this book on the recommendation of my sister, and I certainly pass on that recommendation. This story, which reads like a true experience, is not only a wonderful look at the Irish Catholic experience in 1955 Chicago, it's also a story about how love (or the lack of it) determines so much in our lives. The book is hilarious in places (like the wedding of the main character's uncle, where the world's oldest man arrives late to church and shuffles in at the 'pace of the Wisconsin glacier', and touching in many places, bringing me to tears. Basically, it's exactly like a good old Irish wake. Just be prepared to spend some time with it - you won't be able to put this book down. I don't give many (any?) five-star reviews, but this book certainly deserves all five of those stars. Maybe a couple more, too.