"Eschewing sappiness in favor of sparse but vivid prose, McSherry documents his first few decades with four siblings, very little money, and two parents whose respective mental illnesses intensified as the years progress Although his story is certainly unique, McSherry's book has much to say about the nobility and struggle that characterize every individual life. A deeply affecting, surprisingly unsentimental description of surviving-and transcending-a tumultuous upbringing."-Kirkus Discoveries"To say McSherry has lived a 'hard knock' life is an understatement, but the Lehman High School teacher and Brio Award winner has crafted a Bronx version of Angela's Ashes that resonates with hope, wit, and perseverance."-Derek Woods, host of the television program, Bronx Magazine