Sophia, very proud of her new found ability to pull herself up to a stand was practicing tonight by standing up at the edge of the fireplace, reaching in and grabbing at the nativity set. Cute, I thought. I suppose she’s figured out that if she lets go with her hand to grab at things she loses stability and starts to fall. Thus she started ducking her head, mouth open, trying to grab one of the wise men with her teeth. The poor king was covered in baby drool but oh she was a happy baby. Look, I exclaimed to my sister, Sophie’s bobbing for kings!
I read Angela’s Ashes a few years ago, and my reaction was similar to yours. It made me sad that he was reacting to a bogus version of Catholicism that was, as you say, warped by Jansenism. I found the poverty tragic. And the deaths of 3 of Frank’s siblings were heartbreaking: first his baby sister, and then the little twins, one of whom basically grieved to death after his brother died. Nowadays they probably all could have been saved.
I also read the sequel to Angela’s Ashes and learned way more than I wanted to know about the ways a family can be dysfunctional.
I’m not sure I want to read the sequel.