One of the books that has been sitting on my shelf and my must-read list for a very long time is Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt. My brother read it under duress and rather enjoyed
it, though he found it a lot to slog through, especially since much of
it would have been utterly dreary and depressing if not for McCourt's
sparkling wit and exceptional skill as a storyteller. Unsure of how much
family tragedy I can stomach in one narrative, I haven't braved the
book yet, but when I saw that he had written a Christmas story about -
and dedicated to - his mother, I was eager to lay eyes on it.
I
gather from what Nathan has told me that it's often unclear to what
extent McCourt is embellishing the truth. Obviously he didn't witness
the events described in Angela and the Baby Jesus, since they
happened when his mother was a little girl. No doubt he took a cherished
family recollection and polished it up a bit, making it even more
lustrous for the lucky readers. But the story seems plausible enough,
and it certainly is touching.
The six-year-old Angela is
depicted as a headstrong, compassionate girl. Because she is so little,
she finds that her family members tend to ignore her, and she's counting
on that happening when she takes it into her head to smuggle the statue
of the baby Jesus home from St. Joseph's Church. She knows they will
object to her taking Jesus away from His mother, away from the church
full of parishioners, their eyes brimming with devotion. But stubborn
Angela doesn't care. All that concerns her is keeping the infant warm.
As the story progresses, there are gentle chuckles to be had,
particularly when Angela scolds the statue for wandering off during
their journey home. But mostly, this is a tender story of kindness,
charity, faith and family devotion. Rich with religious imagery and
theological contemplation from the point of view of a young child, it
inspires and entertains in exquisitely written prose.
The
illustrations in this version are done by Raul Colon, whose painting
style incorporates watercolor and colored pencil, with the result of
soft pictures reminiscent of pointilism. For whatever reason, this is
not the only edition of the book to have arrived on shelves in the past
month. A small, square gift book-sized version - the "adult edition" -
also exists and features fuzzy illustrations by Loren Long. Both artists
complement the story nicely.
It's apparent in the story that
as Angela worries about Jesus' well-being, she isn't exactly so well-off
herself, but she does have a home and the love of her family, even her
annoying older brother who threatens to expose her. In this hopeful
Christmas story, that is more than enough.
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