Struggles in Southie: Evaluating The Autobiography of Michael Patrick MacDonald Molly McAtee College

What is worse than losing a loved one? Many people would agree that losing someone you hold dear is one of the most painful processes to undergo. However, the people of Southie, in Massachusetts, had to deal with this pain continuously. Whether it was their children, siblings, parents, or friends being killed or committing suicide, the residents of Southie were constantly grieving. One resident, Michael Patrick MacDonald, even wrote a book on this subject. His book, All Souls, was written after Michael had grown up in the poverty of Southie, where many tragedies and heartbreaks had waited for him. Some of the worst of these sorrows included the deaths of four of his brothers. By writing this autobiography, MacDonald explores the truth of Southie openly and shows how many innocent lives were forever changed due to racism and poverty.

In the beginning of MacDonald’s work, he describes how he was a part of a vigil on All Souls Night to remember all of the lives lost in Southie. During this emotional chapter, the reader learns a lot about the type of past that Southie holds. This can be seen when the community gathers together to individually stand at a microphone in front of everyone to light a candle and name the people that they...