Official Review: from galway to new york

Eric77 · Post by **Eric77** » 19 Sep 2017, 13:08

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "from galway to new york" by Thomas J Monahan sr.]

4 out of 4 stars

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From Galway to New York is a memoir of the life of Thomas J. Monahan. It is the story of an Irish immigrant. From his adventures in his home town of Oughteard to his settlement in New York, Thomas J. Monahan takes the reader through his joys, adventures, struggles and sorrows.

This book was written to answer all the questions the author's children and grandchildren had to ask. It is a simple story about his life. It begins with a brief background history of his parents. He takes us through his father's battle with alcohol addiction and the kind of relationship his parents shared. He was not the perfect child. From clubbing to motorcycling and chasing girls, he managed to keep his parents on the edge, fearing he won't live long. For some reasons, he decided to migrate to the US like many Irish youths during that period. His rag to riches tale is far from the ordinary. In between his conscription during the Vietnam war, his three marriages and five children, the reader would learn a thing or two from Thomas J. Monahan.

As I read this book, I laughed, hoped, prayed for and wept with the author. Through his experiences, I learned many things. From the ingenuity of his father to his youthful exploits, I learned some "do it yourself (DIYs)" home tricks. Some were just pure genius, like setting up your own source of power. I would tell though, after reading this book, I know a thing or two about plumbing. As he aged, so did he get wiser. I even wonder wether or not he actually realize how much of an advice his story was.

I found his marital life most engaging and educative. Above all things, Mr. Thomas was a faithful Catholic. His faith in the Blessed Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ was uncompromising. Through thick and thin, he had one faithful prayer to them;

as long as you leave my two hands, my wife and children would never go hungry

. He was a hardworking plumber. He loved his job as he did his family. I learned so much just reading about his marriages. Through their financial problems, sick child and him being widowed twice, I learned many things. The most important were financial management and the importance of keeping your true friends ever close.

This book was well written. The author actually confessed to have sought the assistance of his professor friend in writing this book. I however found a few cases of missing words. This did not in any way hinder the flow of the story. I believe the book was professionally edited and those mistakes could be from the typing.

I would rate From Galway to New York by Thomas J. Monahan 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to everyone. Through the author's experiences, almost every would learn something or find something in common with him. He offers no advice, but I assure you, you would learn a lot just reading his story. This book is "Madea" on print.

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from galway to new york
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Kelebogile Mbangi · Post by **Kelebogile Mbangi** » 20 Sep 2017, 11:29

Sounds like the author has been through a lot! With the rating you gave it, it must be worth reading, especially since readers can learn from it. Thanks for the review.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 20 Sep 2017, 15:34

I'm glad that you enjoyed this one so much! I'm not much into memoirs. I have to be in the right mood for that. Thanks for the review, though.

Eric77 · Post by **Eric77** » 20 Sep 2017, 15:39

His life story is as interesting as you can't imagine. Far from the boring traditional memoirs, his is like a good old Madea movie. Thanks for the reply

Zelinda · Post by **Zelinda** » 20 Sep 2017, 19:51

Thanks for your review, Eric77. I am intrigued that you were able to learn plumbing from this book. I will recommend it to my husband

. I'm not a non-fiction fan, but this book sounded very inspiring, based on your review.

Eric77 · Post by **Eric77** » 20 Sep 2017, 23:44

He sure would get to learn a thing or two from Thomas. Thanks for your reply.

kislany · Post by **kislany** » 21 Sep 2017, 01:20

What an interesting review of a great-sounding memoir. I've recently started to read these types of books and found them strangely engaging, so this book will be on my TBR shelf soon.

Eric77 · Post by **Eric77** » 21 Sep 2017, 02:01

Glad you found them engaging. I would tell you that strange part of the engaging is an emotion I also shared. I was positively surprised. Thanks for the reply.