Al Capone Does My Shirts: this was a fun book and a funny one, though not as purely comedic as you might think from the title. Rather, it's a funny take on a serious situation. A lot of the book deals with the family's attempts to care for their autistic daughter during a time when autism did not yet exist as a diagnosis. Twelve year old Moose is highly protective of his sister, isn't exactly thrilled about moving to Alcatraz island on the mere hope that his parents can get her into a special school.
I first started this book a few years back, I liked what I read, but I never finished it.
This was by no means the fault of the author. I personally just wasn't ready to finish it.
The sister reminded me too much of how I struggled with my Aspergers' (A high-functioning form of autism), even after I had the luxury of being diagnosed when I was 12, though my autism is nowhere near as fatal as hers, I can speak
(Albeit like a chipmunk auctioneer) and I learned to read and write, I know how it feels to think you're alone in a pain even you don't fully understand.
It also hit too close to home in that it reminded me how my painful my non-realtionship with my mother really is.
My mother's problems go WAY beyond "Autistic" but I felt like the sister represented her as much as me. So, while I didn't finish the book at the time I first read it (20ish), I applaud the author for making me care, even if I had to break from reading the book. I will finish it someday, I'm a braver reader than I used to be.
In some sense, I felt protective of my mother as Moose does his sister, she may be schizophrenic
(My mother, not the sister, from what I read) but she's NOT stupid.
She just acts like a three year old who can't grow up, and for those of you parents with ACTUAL three year olds, be thankful that they will eventually (And mistakes aside, actually WANT to) grow up. Just a friendly aside from someone whose mother didn't get that chance, and deserved it no less.
I'm part way through Al Capone Shines my Shoes, and am liking it so far. I was worried it wouldn't live up to the first book, which I loved. So far, though, I"m almost liking it more.
Britwriter, just thought you might want to there will be
one last book in the Alcatraz series coming this fall!
I still need to finish the first one, but I was engaged by what I read, and even though I only read part of the first one when I was 20, what I've read of the book STILL stayed with me, and I want to finish it.
