It’s a harsh opening for a book which follows ... “Angela’s Ashes,” “Jennie’s Boy” is, if anything, even more powerful: a compressed, restrained account of a life lived on the edge, not only in ...

A group of adults — a mix of parents, teachers, and community members — sat in a circle and scribbled away on the note cards in their laps. While the morning had started with pie and gabbing, the room ...