Angela's Ashes; by Frank McCourt.

A poor family in Ireland about a century ago - not that the exact time matters. The man of the family tries his best, but between his inability to find any decent work and the ambient drink culture that all but forces him to join his mates at the pub every pay day for much longer than other days, it is not easy.

Then there is the never mentioned political situation with not only feudal but English domination and the land has been under the boot far too long, so the man can only go to find work in England, with all its ensuing loneliness for him - perhaps encouraging his drinking, too - and his inability to send or put away much - he needs to shell out more for everything as expat workers do everywhere except those that are colonial masters - so the famiily back home remains poor.

Also largely unmentioned is the church with its position on various issues and its grip on Ireland driving poor to have large families, and the consequent inability of the families to survive under the political and economic situation very well. The church makes a show of help as a image - but cannot and is not much willing to ease the circumstances even in some few ways that it can. Perhaps it is fear of associating with poor and estrangement of rich and feudal lords.

Children of poor go to work early for work that harms health, and there is little hope of any further education. There is also the men honouring the boy on his first pay day with invitation to join them in a real drink.

The valiant boy and his mother keep trying, with mixed success. Their one hope is to put away money and somehow escape to the other shores of Atlantic.

The most haunting episode of all was when one of the little fraternal twins died, and the other went around looking for him, calling out his name, looking at elders with questioning eyes, looking under the bed and everywhere else he used to play with the one that is missing.

And then he died, too.